Post Prologue
by Yamxz
Summary: Previously titled "The First War". Starting with events of MMX1/MHX, this work is no longer a series of ficlets, but a full blown continuation into MMX2 with the AU context established in "Past Prologue". Polite warning: heavy X/Zero. Complete
1. Central Highway

**A/N:**

COVER ART BY metalhime. I commissioned this piece based on "Past Prologue". BEAUTIFUL WORK! Check out her stuff on DeviantArt/dA (search 'metalhime'. I don't think I can post a link here)

This first part continues from Past Prologue, and references some of it- which I am revising, so that is actually a work in progress despite being complete. Undecided whether this will be just a series of the more famous X/Zero scenes or if the 8 Mavericks will come out to play.

Thank you for reading!

* * *

X pressed forward, demolishing a gun volt and a wave of crushers. X then held up his arm to block gusts of wind from a bee blader as it descended. Hovering mere inches above the road, the blader deployed two deer balls.

With a charged shot, X pulverized the deer balls, leaving only their long legs to fall limp to the ground. The blader then approached X, and the gatling gun under its head activated. A burst of high-velocity rounds poured out and peppered the pavement with deep pockmarks, threatening to do the same to X's armor.

Another charged shot rang out from X's buster. It struck the blader's armor, cracking it. X fired his buster rapidly, and each bullet widened the cracks further until one reached the blader's inner systems. A series of explosions ripped through the beast until the blader darkened and fell with a heavy crash. X lost his balance when the weight of massive vehicle caused the section of street to buckle, then tear from its pillars. The entire platform fell, along with the dead blader, and only stopped when it wedged between where the bases of the pillars flared out.

The fallen platform created a pit where X found himself shaken, but unharmed. Undeterred, X used the blader as a launching platform and jumped to the pillar behind it. X pressed himself against the side of the pillar, jumped, fell on the pillar again, and repeated the process. Unable to jump high nor fly, X learned the maneuver - called "wall-jumping" - while in the Anti-Maverick Police Force. He practiced it ever so often, and as he climbed of the pit, he felt grateful that he did.

The road ahead continued. X struck down more crushers, gun volts, and deerballs. He met another blader, which he dispatched with similar results to the first. He again climbed out of the gap in the road it left behind and carried on. All the while, X felt a battle fever grow like he never experienced before. His senses heightened and sharpened, attuning him to every threat in his surroundings.

As the smoke and wreckage of Dr. Cain's ship appeared in the distance, a chill rushed up X spine.

"Found you!" blared from a loudspeaker. A shadow descended on X and the road around him. He looked up to see a massive airship appear from a haze of coulds, dust, and smoke. It's belly opened, and a ride armor fell out, landing some yards away from X.

"You," X growled. He instantly recognized the purple armor and shoulder-mounted cannon of the armor's rider.

"You owe me a battle. I hope you haven't forgotten!"

"I don't have time for this, Vile," X said.

The ride armor raised its fists. "I beg to differ. With the world in chaos, we have nothing but time. Prepare yourself!" Vile said.

Vile dashed forward in his ride armor. It's massive fist reared back, and then threw a wild punch at X. A split second of terror seized X, but instinct took control and he managed to vault over the attack before it crushed him.

Vile turned and dashed again, and X responded by rolling out of the way before another savage punch took his head off. X remained on one knee after coming our of the roll. Dodging his foe took every bit of quickness he could muster, and could spare little thought towards mounting an effective counterattack. Nonetheless, charged his buster, rose to his feet and fired a heavy blast.

X's heart sank. The armor absorbed the entire shot; it did not even stagger. Vile cackled, and charged at X again. X rolled once more. He collided with the door of an abandoned car, scraping off paint and leaving a noticeable dent. He felt a gust of air rush over him as the ride armor's fist flew past him. X inhaled sharply before having to dive away again. The car split into pieces as Vile tore through it like paper.

X landed hard on the pavement, exhausted. Without letting up, Vile aimed his shoulder cannon he fired a series of energy nets. X side-stepped all but the last. X yelped as the shot enveloped him in charged coils, making it painful for him to move. He dropped to his knees.

Vile charged a final time. X cried out and winced as the solid metal of the armor's fingers wrapped around his torso and roughly yanked him into the air. The electric net flickered as it deactivated and fell away.

"Come on, X! Where is this limitless potential? Show me! Or are you holding back?" He shook X. "Show me right now, or I'll pry you open and look for it myself!"

"Stop...Vile!" X choked. He felt his life squeeze out of him.

A charged shot rang out. The missile hit the ride armor exactly at the exposed joint at the shoulder. The joint burst, and the arm severed with X still in its grasp. Its fingers loosened and it slipped off of X. As he landed on one knee, Vile backed away, with a cascade of coolant and sparks pouring from the armor's open wound.

"Ugh!" Vile said. The armor staggered and trembled. X looked up, cautious as the armor twitched and shuddered.

"Warning: system damage," the armor's system blared. "Warning: coolant loss. Caution: overheat."

"Shut up, you damn machine!" With frantic punches to the armor's pilot controls, Vile stabilized the malfunctioning machine. He then shouted, "Who's there? Show yourself!"

"I'm right here, Vile."

Relief - and disbelief at his good fortune - flooded X's thoughts. His heart filled with hope. Hearing the familiar voice of his best friend, X felt a renewed vigor. X rose to his feet, wincing from where the armor's fingers bruised his torso. He heard Zero's footsteps, then saw a blur of red as he dashed past X.

Zero planted himself between X and Vile. He stood tall and crossed his arms, saying, "I can finish you off here, or you can surrender. Your call."

The ride armor twitched and wobbled. Spurts of smoke wafted from the armor's vents on its lower torso. Vile replied, "Zero. Only you would come his defense. Just think about how pathetic that is. Why does someone with your talents even associate with such a tired old relic?"

"You would never understand. I can't even bring myself to call you a Maverick. They at least have some sense of loyalty. You? You're just a mad dog that needs to be stopped."

Vile scoffed. "I might have respected you once, Zero, but I'm tired of your interference. My business is with X, understand? Do not meddle again, for I guarantee that a lucky shot won't save you next time." Vile looked to X. "I will find you again, X, and we will continue our battle. Alone. Try not to die until then."

Vile punched a command into the stricken ride armor. He turned toward the edge of the road. The armor hobbled a few steps before firing its boosters. Fire spurted from the exhaust, but the vehicle made a mighty leap off of the highway. Zero ran to the edge, only to see the same airship rise up, carrying Vile on an exterior platform. Zero aimed his buster and fired at Vile and the airship, but with little effect. The carrier continued to ascend until swallowed up by the clouds. Zero growled with frustration.

"Zero," X called out weakly. "You're alive!"

Zero spun around and ran to X. "X," he said. He placed his hands on X's shoulders and scanned his wounds. "Are you okay, buddy?"

"I'll be fine. I was worried about you when the tower blew."

Zero dropped his arms from X and said, "And I made it out alive only to get in the middle of more senseless destruction. I'm sorry I couldn't get here sooner. I saw the explosions and came here as fast as I could."

"I guess I'm still not quite at your level, though. There is no way I can beat Vile."

"Don't worry, X- I know that soon you'll be more than a match for a brute like him. Next time, you'll be ready to face him."

X did not understand why Zero felt that way, but the confidence behind his words lifted X's spirits.

"I found no sign of Sigma on my end," Zero said.

"No, you wouldn't have," X said. Zero furrowed his brow, prompting X to say, "He's no longer in the city. I met with him - or I thought I did - before he blew up the highway. He gave me the information on his henchmen," X pulled from his belt the data capsule. "He said I have to challenge them all before he will reveal his location to us."

"Figures he would make a sick game out of it," Zero said. He thought for a pause, then said, "I think it will be more efficient if I continue to search for him while you start taking out his subordinates."

"What? You think I should do what Sigma says?"

"Whether Sigma says so or not, they have to be stopped anyway before the Hunters can regain control of the situation."

X's face fell. "That's true."

Zero said, "I know you can make quick work of them. Now's the time you can put your unique ability to good use, isn't it?"

"Oh, that's right," X said thoughtfully. "But do I have to destroy them, Zero? Storm Eagle, and Kwuanger..."

Zero sighed, dropping his arm. "They're Mavericks now, X. You can't hesitate now, because they won't hesitate to destroy you instead."

X nodded. His last feelings of protest diminished, and he accepted his mission.

"Maybe you should meet with Dr. Cain first. He can help you view what's on that drive at least," Zero suggested.

X's eyes widened in panic. "The doctor! The ship!"

Confused, Zero stepped aside to let X charge past him. He followed X further down the highway. They traveled a little over a hundred meters before Zero spotted what X had referred to: large sections of smoldering aircraft had cratered and scorched the pavement up ahead.

X leaped onto the piece of body where the cockpit lay. X approached it with care, worried about what he would find under the tinted dome. He crouched and placed his hands on it and pushed firmly to the side. With considerable strain, he loosened the hatch and slid the cover off.

To his shock and relief, he found the cockpit empty. Some of the avionics still flickered with life. Zero joined X on the section, standing over him and the open capsule. "Was Dr. Cain supposed to be in there?" Zero asked.

X did not reply, instead focusing his attention on the faint sound of a broken radio signal emanating from inside the cockpit. "

Hel- Hello- Some-," it stuttered out. X dove into the cockpit and grabbed the comm's mouthpiece.

"Doctor! Doctor!" X said into the mouthpiece.

The signal buzzed and squealed. X fiddled with the comm panel in an attempt to clear the noise.

"X? X!" a voice said, crackling through the interference. "Is that you?"

"Dr. Cain! You're okay!" X said, sighing.

"Never been better after hearing your voice. I'm glad you're OK. I'm sorry to have lost this old bird, though. One can't have quite the same reaction time when flying remotely."

"Where are you?" X asked.

"I'm in my safehouse just outside the city limits. If you're not in a tight spot, I'll give you the coordinates."

"Yes, please. I need your help to take down these Mavericks, then Sigma."

A pause. Dr. Cain then said, "X, you sound so confident with yourself. I'm glad."  
The doctor gave X the coordinates. After X thanked the doctor, he bid him farewell.

X stood and turned to find Zero standing close beside him. He averted his eyes.  
"Well, good luck," X said.

"That's it, huh? 'Good luck' is all I get?" Zero said playfully.

"What else do you want?" X asked, still looking away.

The playfulness diminished. Zero said sharply, "I don't know. I want you to look at me, for starters. Say goodbye properly. We're both going to war, after all."

With hesitation, X lifted his chin and met Zero's eyes. X could not say what made the movement so difficult, so heavy.

"I'm sorry," X said.

Zero put a hand on X's arm. Zero chewed on his lip as if unsure of what he wanted to say. Zero's hand dropped to hold his.

X swallowed hard. "What's the matter?" he murmured.

Zero smiled. "Nothing." In an instant, he let go of X and leaped from the wreckage to the street below. "Be careful!" he called over his shoulder.

X moved to call out to him, but he held back. He watched Zero until he disappeared into a haze of dust and smoke.


	2. The Sacrifice

**A/N:** I've been batting around ideas of what to do exactly with this "Post" series of chapters. I'm more or less sold on the idea of making this a series of ficlets as opposed to a continuous retelling MMX1. To paraphrase some of the helpful feedback I've received: let's not reinvent the wheel. Let's just get to the good stuff. I'm with you, and not just because it's a whole lot less work, I swear.

So here it is, Zero's sacrifice in the context of "Past Prologue", my other fic. If you haven't read at least the first 10 chapters or so of that fic, then some stuff might be a little confusiating.

Several folks asked if I would write this. I hope it doesn't disappoint. And if I spelled a whole lot of words wrong towards the end, it's because I was crying. ARE YOU HAPPY NOW? (I kid, I kid)

Enjoy!

* * *

X sprinted down the long corridor, lured by echoes of clanging metal and buster fire. The buster sounded very familiar. He thought Zero must have found Sigma's palace and gone in ahead. He needed to catch up. He wanted to face Sigma together and go home.

The sounds of the clanging and the buster stopped. The abrupt silence pushed X to sprint faster, now anxious to find Zero. X slowed as he came upon a heavy door. In the dim light, X failed to see any kind of switch or lever to open it.  
He did not have to find one, however, as the screech of grinding gears filled the air, and the door lifted. Suspicious of the apparent invitation, X took measured steps forward into a cavernous hallway ahead, but found it difficult for his sight to penetrate the thick sea of darkness. He activated a flashlight from his buster and sweeped his surroundings, searching for any danger. He then froze when a voice cried out.

"X! Don't come any closer! Get out of here!"

The heavy door behind him crashed shut, and he winced at the loud bang. Lights switched on and scattered the darkness, revealing Zero captured behind a cage. The bars were electrified.

Vile, atop his ride armor, sat next to the cage like a hunter posing with its catch. "Nice of you to join us. Now that I have Zero out of the way, are you ready for our rematch?"

"Vile!" X called out. Vile answered by darting out and charging toward X.

"Ugh!" X somersaulted to the side. Like in his encounter before with Vile, it took every bit of strength to avoid being crushed with one blow. The ride armor stopped, lifted its massive foot, and brought it down to stomp X into the floor. X rolled again, staying within inches of death. He rose to his feet and dashed away.

"Zero!" X called.

"X, you can beat him!" he said.

X charged his buster, turned, and fired a devastating shot. The strongest he could muster, X thought it would crack the unstoppable beast. The blast struck the armor dead on.

The ride armor absorbed and discharged the energy harmlessly. X blanched when he realized his shot did as much damage as a pebble thrown against a mountainside. He found it hard to believe that such a material existed. He wondered grimly if Vile designed the armor just for him.

Vile chuckled. As X listened to Vile laugh, the solution dawned on him.

Vile said, "What's the matter, X? Met your match already?"

"Hardly!"

X charged his buster again. This time, he leaped high into the air.

"Give it up!" Vile said. He reeled back and charged at X.

With a cry, X fired. The shot flew above the armor and collided with Vile himself. The armor screeched to a halt as Vile's hands flew to his face. X landed, bracing himself for what lay next.

"Damn-" Vile started. Vile dropped his hands, and X could see the deep scorch marks on Vile's helmet and torso his assault left behind. "Damn you!" The armor resumed its attack, throwing a right hook.

X leaped again and fired another round at Vile's oncoming face. However, the armor's left arm rose to block the shot. X gasped, and could not avoid it when the left arm swung back across and knocked him to the ground. He pulled himself to a kneeling position, but lay silent as the force of the blow caused his systems to seize. His systems recovered shortly, but not before the pain of an electric net wrapped around his vulnerable form.

The ride armor's hand rammed into X's belly and forced him into the air. He yelled out as the shocks from the net burned him before it deactivated and fell loose.

"Still the same result. How disappointing," Vile said.

X refused to look at him. Instead, his gaze fell over to Zero. X noticed him crouching, with his hands fiddling with the cage's wiring. Zero glanced up, stilling his activity when he met X's tortured eyes.

"I'm-. I'm sor-ah!" X said to him, gasping as the armor's hand tightened.

"Don't feel bad, Zero. I hope I've demonstrated why you should have left a relic like him to rot in antiquity," Vile said, shaking X. "You'll join him, soon."

X wondered if Vile noticed the grin that flashed across Zero's features.

"You have a bad habit of speaking too soon, Vile," Zero said.

"Excuse me?" Vile hissed.

Zero touched a wire to the bars. Electricty surged, overloading the barrier. The bars then split and shattered. Now free, Zero jumped from the cage onto the back of the ride armor.

"Wha-, what!" Vile said. "Get off me!"

The armor's torso pivoted from side to side as Vile attempted to shake Zero off. The armor released X, throwing him onto his backside some distance away.

"X! The rest is up to you!" Zero called out. Zero jammed his buster arm into one of the armor's vents. As X pushed himself up by his elbows, he felt sick when he heard Zero then charge his buster.

"Zero! Don't!" X cried, reaching out.

Zero released the shot. Liquid fire belched from the vent, melting away Zero's body below his chest. Splits in the armor's plating then appeared, and seconds later it shattered to pieces in a cluster of explosions.

Over his outstretched arm, X watched as the blast flung Zero's upper half far down the corridor where it skidded to a halt. His mind went blank, and his vision grew foggy. Memories of Zero flooded into his mind. Memories of when he first laid eyes on him and his ferocious exterior in Dr. Cain's lab. The days and days of repair. Seeing him stand, whole, for the first time. Getting caught in the A Class wing. The gentle peck on his head after his harrowing A Class test. Zero's promise to stand by X no matter what. X thought of how much he learned, and how much he grew because Zero trusted in him. Now, those memories, along with his friend - his only friend - lay torn apart. This, his sacrifice, was far too great.

Caught up in his grief, X failed to notice that Vile escaped and, though somewhat singed, now stood before him.

"I'd make him pay for that, but it looks like my job is half done already. What a fool. And you, you're the reason he did such an idiotic thing. I just don't understand!" Vile said, shaking his head. He aimed his shoulder cannon at X's seated and dazed form. "Now, at least, I get to finish you off."

X balled his fists, squeezing them tight. He yelled. He screamed. In a split second, he snapped to his feet. In an instant, he closed the distance between them with unnatural speed. He slammed his left hand onto the barrel of Vile's shoulder cannon and pressed his buster square at Vile's chest. With a slow crunch, X crushed the barrel between his fingers.

Vile choked out a gasp of surprise. He looked down when the sound of X's charging buster echoed in the empty hall.

"You-," Vile began. X released the blast and cut him off. The shot knocked him back with enough force for X to wrench the cannon from his shoulder. X kept his buster trained on him as he tossed the broken weapon away. Vile landed hard on his backside. After lying motionless for a brief pause, he moved to sit up.

"Leave. Now!" X demanded.

Vile chuckled, coughing as he did so. "You're going to spare me?"

"There are far more important things I have to deal with right now."

"You'll regret it." Vile moved to stand, but froze when X charged his buster arm.

"Do not test me. Do not believe that I won't hesitate to destroy you," X said. "If you come any closer, there will be nothing left of you!"

Vile coughed, palpating the grave wound in his chest. He continued to stand. As he looked down the barrel of X's buster, he said, "You know, I believe you."

"Then leave!"

Vile staggered backward, saying, "You think you'll change the world with this senseless compassion? You will fail. I'll be sure to remind you of that again someday."

He turned to flee. X kept his buster pointed at him until he faded from his sight. "X," he heard, faint.

X spun around. He caught sight of Zero's body and ran to him. For the last few steps, X felt his limbs grow heavy, and he dropped to his knees next to Zero. He gathered his fallen comrade up in his arms.

"Zero," X breathed, looking down at Zero's broken torso. "Why did you do such a stupid thing?"

"Wasn't gonna let him-," Zero began, swallowing. The light in his eyes flickered. "You're my friend."

X's lip quivered.

"You know, you lied to me," Zero said.

X's breath quickened and his eyes grew wide with fright. Did he figure it out? How?

Zero licked his lips. "You said we were good friends before my accident. You didn't actually say how much you meant to me. How worthy you really are."

"I thought we'd go slow. Work up to that," X said, heaving a sigh.

"Hey." Zero reached up with his unbroken buster arm. "What did I say about leaking?"

"Sorry," X said, but made no move to wipe his tears away.

Zero retracted his hand into his buster. He said, "Take it."

"What?"

"I want to be there when you take Sigma out. Take it. My weapon."

"Zero, I can't!"

"You can. Pretend I'm any other Maverick."

The word 'Maverick' struck X like a bolt. He squeezed Zero to his chest, burying his face in the crook of Zero's shoulder.

"You're no Maverick. You're my best friend. The only one I ever loved." X released him, and Zero smiled up at him.

"Then let part of me remain with you. As my last wish." Zero said, pressing his buster to him.

X felt the familiar tingle in his toes.

"No, Zero!" X shouted. The data transfer commenced, and the load of information filled X's senses, blocking them. The red crystal of his helmet glowed with its brilliant red light. For a moment he tensed, but soon relaxed as he accepted the process. Unlike the data transfer from the eight Mavericks, which felt angry and fitful like a snake caught in hand, the data from Zero washed through him as a gentle current and warmed his body.

When his sight returned, and the download completed, he looked down at the cold shell of Zero still resting in his arms. The black pits of Zero's eyes confirmed he perished with the process. The tears in X's eyes dried up. He set Zero's body back on the ground and rose to his feet. He looked over to his buster, altered as a combination of his original buster and Zero's. Even without that proof, he could sense Zero within him. X could feel a rage and a determination that was both his and was not his own, and it propelled him forward into a sprint through the palace hall. He had one thought, and one thought alone: Sigma. Sigma must die.


	3. End

Sigma fell to one knee, propping himself up by his beam saber. Breathing heavily, he said, "How far you've come, X. To think that you were but a B Class Hunter!"

"How far you've fallen, Sigma," X said, keeping his buster trained on Sigma. "To think you were such a well-respected Commander."

Sigma growled in response, wincing from his wounds.

X continued, "Are you ready to surrender, and to answer for your crimes?"

"You don't want me to surrender. You know what must be done."

"I don't want to fight anymore."

"Of course you don't." Sigma glanced around. "Tell me, where's Zero?"

X trembled. "He is here. With me," he said, shaking his buster in emphasis.

Sigma chuckled darkly. "What a shame. I would have liked to thank him for the clarity he gave me. He was such an exquisite specimen, but you destroyed his true potential with lies of peace and love for your fellow man. Were they worth his life? You abhor suffering, yet do you still not see how Reploids suffer because of such lies?"

"The only lies are the ones you tell yourself," X said. "Like all Mavericks, you can't tell the difference between reality and your delusions anymore."

"Delusions?" Sigma spat. "The only delusion is that you've beaten me."

A cold, green light flashed. X looked up, and reeled in horror at the source. Two eyes of a giant, wolf- shaped head of a mechaniloid stared down at them. A robotic arm darted out from the wolf's forehead, shooting down to seize Sigma by his head. Sigma's head detached from his body, the latter collapsing into a dead heap. The arm pulled Sigma's head into a capsule on the mechaniloid's forehead, where myriad cables inserted into his cranium.

"Reploids are the new masters of this planet!" Sigma shouted as the capsule closed, securing the mechaniloid's master within. The monstrosity tore itself from the wall, bringing two forepaws to slam down on the platform X stood. The force caused X to stumble.

The beast swiped again. X leaped forward and fell onto his belly, just avoiding certain death. X rolled onto his back, and fired a charged shot. The shot landed on the beast's jaw, but its armor resisted it. X realized it would take a hundred more charged shots before he inflicted any appreciable damage.

X gritted his teeth and rolled back onto his feet. His spirit flushed with resolve. Even if it took a thousand shots, he intended to bring this monster down, or die in the attempt.

Thus X and the mechaniloid traded innumerable blows. A bullet or paw would knock X down, but he rose up again and answered with a blast from his buster. Welts and bruises soon covered every inch of him, while the mechaniloid's armor showed dents and cracks. When streams of searing lasers cascaded down and across the room, X ducked under the wolf's extended paws, cleverly evading the beast's most intense assault.

"Give up, X," Sigma called from the mechaniloid. "You'll exhaust yourself long before you bring me down!"

They continued, locked in frenzied battle.

Then, suffering from fatigue, X miscalculated. The mechaniloid's paw swiped across as X brought his buster up to fire. Too late to evade, the paw collided hard with X and flung him into the wall. Dust crumbled down from the wall where cracks fanned out.

The blow shorted X's systems, his vision flickering in and out. Sounds bounced around inside his skull. He heaved himself up, staggering to his feet. It was then he realized how much trauma his body accummulated. Every movement - even his shuddering breaths - felt agonizing. Baring his teeth, X lifted his buster once more toward Sigma, tensing as pain pierced through his every nerve. The hum of its charge echoed throughout the chamber.

"Here is your death!" Sigma said. The mechaniloid raised one of its paws, preparing to deliver the fatal blow.

Suddenly, without X's command, the buster reconfigured itself. Pieces emerged, rotated, and locked into place. The barrel expanded, drawing in more power. X felt the reactor within surge, and the very space ahead of him undulated with its multiplying energy.

X looked at the transformation in shock. The pain in his body dulled, allowing him to focus his aim. He said aloud the first thought that entered his mind: "Zero."

His arm shook when the strength of the charge began to overwhelm his buster. Pain resumed, shooting from the buster up through to his shoulder, but X pushed through it, determined to hold for as much as he could bear.

The mechaniloid's claws bore down on him with horrible speed. A cry erupted from X, a strained sound billowing up from his very core. The shot he held exploded from his buster, and he felt its casing tear. Its whirling parts seized, then stopped cold, totally disabled.

Sigma's oncoming claws ripped apart, showering X with hot scrap. The shot dispersed into a dozen heavy missiles, each puncturing through the mechaniloid's armor at its chest and obliterating its face- save for the capsule holding Sigma.

"No! How-!"

The stricken beast teetered, then tumbled backward, its full weight slamming against the concrete wall. It convulsed and spasmed, sending aftershocks through the structure. The back wall then came apart, and X felt a gust of salty ocean air sweep through the chamber. The mechaniloid continued to fall backward until the torso wrenched off from its base. Head over tail, it fell from the opening and plunged into the sea. Another explosion wracked the structure, and a column of water spouted up from where the mechaniloid disappeared beneath the waves.

The building shook again, and pieces of rubble crumbled from the ceiling. X hurried to the opening in the wall and looked down at the long drop. More tremors came, and deep splits snapped along the sides of the fortress. Without further hesitation, X dove from the opening and into the sea before the structure collapsed on him.

* * *

The glass door - only a few meters away - seemed to be miles out. X lifted his face again from the soggy

pathway, weakly spitting out clumps of mud. He willed his legs to move, but they did not obey.

He could not remember how he got there. He vaguely remembered the sand of a beach, the rocks, the craters in the asphalt along the way. He remembered seeing the cracked dome of Dr. Cain's residence, spurring on a final burst of strength.

He must have fallen down. Thunder rumbled through the sky overhead. Light rain pitter-pattered on his armor, the characteristic blue blackened with grime and soot, further speckled with corrosion. He tried to push himself, drag himself, but soon his vision scrambled, then blindess took hold. He flopped, planting in the mud. He felt his last trickle of energy seep out of his tired muscles, and he lost consciousness.

* * *

Warmth. It started in his forehead and cheeks, then flooded down to his chest. It radiated through his

shoulders and out through his fingertips. Feeling returned to his legs and feet. The sensations soothed him.

He remembered feeling this before. The time the humans pulled him from stasis. He wondered if he ever woke up. Maybe he would open his eyes and experience a new world once again. Perhaps he conjured all of his friends, his lessons, and his battles as a way to keep himself occupied while he slept.

"X? X!" a familiar voice called out to him.

Yes, X thought. None of it was real. He imagined Dr. Cain brushing away the sand over his tomb. He would open his eyes, smile, and start over in this next life.

He lifted his eyelids, slowly, and light rushed in. He recoiled as his vision adjusted to his surroundings. His face then scrunched in despair.

There was no stasis capsule. There were no curious humans swarming his resting place in the sand. There was no hope of starting over.

"X, my dear boy."

X rolled his head to the side, seeing Dr. Cain there. He held X's hand and squeezed.

"Doctor," X rasped out. "What-," He could not finish his thought.

"I feared the worst. First I thought Sigma must have slain you, then I discovered you near death outside my home. The Maverick Hunters thought nothing of helping you into my lab, but after two months, we weren't sure if you'd ever recover."

"Two months," X stated more than he questioned.

"They'll be very happy with his news. You'll be their most honored Hunter. The most honored of all creation! You saved them, and everyone on this planet."

X looked away as Dr. Cain spoke. He clenched his teeth before letting out a terrible howl. He then quivered with sobs, and tears spilled from his eyes. He cried out over and over. He had little idea where his excruciating lament came from, feeling only that it might burst from his chest if he did not release it upward with every wail.

* * *

 **A/N:** OK this got kinda dark, I know. I have a teddy bear. But I wanted to let you readers know that I am setting up for some MMX2 action. I've realized the X2 fields are ripe with fluff and I intend to harvest it here in the near future. I hope you'll continue to enjoy this even though it is a retread.


	4. Know Peace

**A/N:** Back to posting after a little break. I decided to charge ahead with MMX2 and make it a little bit more of a reimagined story rather than just ficlets. This may have been a terrible decision. You tell me!

* * *

In the following days - once X felt well enough - he requested that his memory be wiped of the eight Mavericks he defeated during the war. Though they followed Sigma, and despite the usefulness of their abilities, X still believed the officers he had slain deserved to be laid to rest. He did not forget that they once were his allies. The idea of holding onto their essence, as if some kind of trophy, went against his sense of honor.

He leaned back in his seat, careful not to detach any cables connecting him to Dr. Cain's computer. He looked over to the monitors, seeing readouts trickle down. Blueprints of Rolling Shield, Boomerang Cutter, Storm Tornado, and the more of his arsenal cycled by onto the screen as they loaded for analysis.

"I should be able to purge the data in a few minutes," Dr. Cain said, turning from a his control panel.

"Thank you for doing this again," X said.

The doctor nodded. "I admire your integrity. I'm not sure if anyone else could overcome the temptation to keep such power."

"After seeing what power did to Sigma, I can overcome it quite easily. Besides, the war is over now."

"Yes, and all thanks to you. I don't think the press will ever stay off my lawn," Dr. Cain said with a smile.

X's face fell. "I hope I'm not imposing too much. With headquarters in such a bad shape, I'm not sure where else to go right now."

Dr. Cain chuckled. "You should know better than to worry about that."

X smiled. His eyes drifted again to the monitor. He jolted when the last blueprint loaded. The sight of Zero's wireframe readout wrenched him.

Dr. Cain followed X's gaze. The doctor said softly, "Do you wish to remove his data, too?"

X continued to stare at the image. He then turned his head and glanced up at the ceiling. "I don't know," he breathed. "He deserves to rest, too, doesn't he?" He looked down at his buster arm. "But it's the only thing I have left of him."

Dr. Cain studied him, then said, "You don't have to decide right away. Maybe you should hang onto the data for now until you are ready to let him go."

"Yeah," X replied, his thoughts drifting off. He shut his eyes, remembering the last time he visited the lab. He then looked over to the empty lab table nearby. Zero sat with him there and watched over him when they removed Misty Scorpion and Tremor Longhorn's data from his memory. Most painful of all, he remembered Zero's affection towards him, and what he would not give to feel that soft peck on his head again.

He wiped one of his eyes with the back of his hand. He doubted whether he could ever delete the remainder of the only friend he ever had. Zero's data was no trophy- it was a keepsake.

On a clear day, X could view the Maverick Hunter headquarters tower from Dr. Cain's home. The pillar of cracked concrete and exposed steel sat against the sky as a looming reminder of the annihilation the world faced. As X feared, a gulf emerged between humans and Reploids, and many humans expressed dubiousness to downright anger at the Maverick Hunters for allowing Sigma to follow through with such a catastrophe.

He became acquainted with such strong emotions first hand. When they learned of X's recovery, the five members of the human oversight council for the Maverick Hunters requested a meeting with X. No, X thought. They did not request so much as insist that they speak with him. Reluctant to face the world and deal in politics, X thought to decline. Dr. Cain, however, persuaded him to hear what they had to say.

For lack of a suitable alternative, the council designated the Dr. Cain's home as the location- one of the few private residences in Abel City that remained still structurally sound. The living room served as their floor.

"You created him. You should have tested him more before releasing him into the world," one of the council members said, pointing as he leaned forward in a recliner.

"And I would have, had the people in this very room approved my request for an extension," Dr. Cain fired back. He brought a cup of tea to his lips.

"You had extensions. One more would not have prevented your obvious incompetence," another council member said. She paced the living room, her heels clacking on the stone floor.

Standing between the doctor and the council, X said, "You can't blame the doctor for this. No one could have predicted Sigma would turn out this way."

"Forgive me, but I have trouble believing that," the councilwoman said, pausing her stride. "I cannot believe that given all the attention and resources they could ever need, that the Maverick Hunters simply had no idea."

"Exactly," the councilman in the recliner said.

"Sigma corrupted anyone who could have blown the whistle," X replied.  
"Everyone else feared him."

"And not one Hunter thought to speak out?" the councilwoman asked.

"To whom? With all due respect, the Maverick Hunters were the only authority that could have done something about it."

The councilwoman huffed, and the councilman leaned back in his seat.

X continued, "Sigma made his choices. He had the clout and the opportunity. But he also hosted malicious programming, which he tried to infect me with also. I resisted him, but I cannot say the same for any of the other officers who rebelled along with him."

Some of the council members gasped. Another councilman, older and grayer than the rest, crossed his arms and leaned himself against a wall nearby.

Next to him, a bespectacled councilman stepped forward and asked, "If he was infected with something, then where - or who- did he get it from?"

The question gave X pause. He hesitated to admit that he never considered the origin of Sigma's sickness until then.

He swallowed and said, "I'm not sure."

"Then it could have just as easily originated from Sigma himself," the councilwoman said. With a withering look toward Dr. Cain she said, "Because there was a mistake from the start!"

Dr. Cain set down his tea cup with a clatter. "Now, listen here! I am human, and thus I am capable of mistakes. I supervised Sigma's creation, yes. I gave him the attention and care as I would my own son. I was so proud when he dedicated himself to justice and became such an exceptional leader. The sorrow I feel now for his downfall is incomprehensible."

A grim silence hung in the air as the doctor continued, "However, Sigma would have been nothing like X if I denied him free will. And that, I'm afraid, I will not pretend to stand trial for. I am less so inclined if he did in fact contract a virus that broke down his sanity and pushed him to rebel."

The councilwoman crossed her arms. "Yet it was you who promised that Sigma was immune to any infection."

"Any known infection," Dr. Cain said.

Sitting on the armrest of a loveseat, the last councilman said, "Whatever the case, Sigma is not our problem now. Our primary concern is how we are going to restore a peacekeeping force. You could cut the tension in the city with a knife.

The gray man straightened from the wall and approached X. He said, "That's why we chose to meet here, isn't it?" Surprised by the older man, X tensed when he put a hand on X's shoulder. "We are in need a go-between, and here we have one who is uniquely qualified. You are not human, yet nor are you quite Reploid."

"Me?" X said.

"Indeed! You must carry on Sigma's mantle. You must be our liaison. You already have the admiration of your kind, and while the human population may not trust Reploids, I believe they will trust you. You defended us from a great evil, and no one will forget that."

The gray man turned to the other council members and said, "Unless there are any objections, I move to designate X as the new Commander of the Maverick Hunters."

"No objection," the seated councilmen answered.

The bespectacled councilman said, "None."

"I concur," the councilwoman said. "There's no one else."

"But-," X started, stunned by the commission.

"Come now," Dr. Cain said, waving his arm. "The boy's been through hell and back. We should not burden him further!"

"I am sensitive to that, but I'm afraid this is inarguable. X must obey," the gray man said.

"There's not anyone else? In all the region?" Dr. Cain pressed. As they continued to argue, X looked between the humans in the room. He took in the knitted brows, the tight lips, the crossed limbs. Collectively, they demonstrated a heavy unease that drew on his sympathy. He considered the consequences of inaction, and came to the grim conclusion that recovery would never occur if further clashes broke out. That the humans sought him out made perfect sense.

"No," X said, shaking his head. His voice interrupted the argument, and all present turned to him. "It's okay. I will do as ordered."

"Oh, X," Dr. Cain sighed, slumping.

The gray man smiled. "Very good. That settles it, then." He bowed his head. "Thank you for your time and your accommodations, Doctor. And X- headquarters will need your presence as soon as possible."

The state of Maverick Hunter headquarters stunned X as he toured the grounds. He learned that during the two months he spent recovering, the demand for aid overwhelmed Abel City. Many thousands of people and Reploids lost their homes and businesses. To deal with the demand, the remnant Hunters were pressed into opening headquarters to make room for the displaced population. They converted much of headquarters into makeshift shelters and food banks.

"Focus only on repairs that keep this place from falling down. Otherwise, we will do our best to make our guests as comfortable as possible until they can return to their homes in the city. And if I hear about any mistreatment, you can be sure I will correct the problem myself," X ordered. "In the meantime, we will commit as much as we can to cleaning up Abel City."

As far as administration, Dr. Cain's home became de facto headquarters while the original continued to shelter displaced people and Reploids. X preferred the arrangement, as he found the seclusion of Dr. Cain's lab comforting whenever he had a rare moment to spare between debriefings and resource management meetings. Though the human population remained wary of Reploids, X's focus on aiding the survivors did much to persuade them to accept the Maverick Hunters' help. The brewing animosity lessened, allowing X to deal with a more alarming problem.

Even without Sigma to lead them, pockets of Maverick activity persisted throughout the region. Though leftover violence was to be expected, X expected the frequency to dwindle over time. Instead, as the weeks went by, outbreaks continued unabated. In fact, they seemed to be getting worse as more and more Hunters - already weary from the war - returned from the field maimed or worse.

As weeks turned to months, and with little resources to both restore Abel City and put down Mavericks, X struggled to maintain the goodwill he enjoyed from the general populace. If he did not hear complaints about hunger, then it was the complaints about security failures, or vice versa.

Then the big one hit.

A report of a coordinated Maverick attack at a large factory came to X through a plucky young Hunter, clad in the brightest green armor X had ever seen. The Hunter escaped the calamity and rode through the night on his hoverbike to reach Dr. Cain's manor and deliver the news to X personally.

"I'm glad the Hunters still have dedicated soldiers like you," X said to the green Hunter. Gladdened by the praise, the Hunter thanked X robustly and saluted him.

Though he felt uneasy, X decided to spearhead the counterattack himself. Fed up with the ceaseless attacks, he needed to demonstrate that the Hunters were still in control. In addition, he saw an opportunity to find out how and why Maverick activity persisted.

"After I fetch my bike, will you lead me to the factory?" he asked the green Hunter.

"Yes, Commander!"

"Await me out front."

"Sir!"

Along the road, it was not long before X could hear the chaos miles before he could see it. The noise began as a low hum, but as they grew closer, the sounds of battle grew far more crisp and distinct. The sounds of bullets, explosions, and emergency sirens cut through the air. He grimaced when the stench of burning fuel walloped him. The combined sensations sickened him. Nearly six months passed since Sigma's destruction, but his memories of that time came roaring back as though the war never ended.

X and the green hunter made a sharp turn, and put their hoverbikes on course towards the factory entrance. Carved out of a mountainside, the factory's craggy exterior showed no obvious weaknesses where X could infiltrate. However, as they approached, X realized the entrance's large bay doors were open. He thought to signal them to stop so he could assess the surroundings for a trap.

Before he could motion to the green Hunter, a shot rang out from within the factory. A bullet hurdled past the entrance and sliced through the air along the road.

"Look out!" X shouted.

X looked beside him and, to his horror, the green Hunter began to swerve. The bullet punched a hole clean through his chest. The hoverbike banked sharply, then overturned, crashing and throwing the green Hunter's corpse even further along the road. X glanced behind him at the gruesome scene, then snapped forward, gritting his teeth and revving his hoverbike. In a blind rage, he pushed it to its maximum speed.

He yelled, using his voice to drown out the noise in his ears. As he passed the factory entrance, he leaped off of his bike. Like a missile, it slammed with full speed into the first Maverick it encountered - a bipedal mechaniloid, with dual cannons mounted along its center line. A fireball erupted from the impact, and nothing but the mechaniloid's legs stood intact.

Anger continued to boil within X as he charged through the factory, ensuring that he destroyed every Maverick in his way. For the sake of his fallen companion and Hunters like him, he wanted to ensure that none of their enemies escaped.

Now embroiled in the conflict and focused on his mission, X failed to notice the gazes tracking his every move...

* * *

 **AN:** Moment of silence once again for green biker dude. RIP in pieces


	5. The Challenge

**A/N:**

 **Enci897 -** Thank you! This has been a challenge to make interesting and readable since A) most of us have played this game before, and B) there are more in-depth retellings out there. I'm glad you're still enjoying this one so far!

 **angel-kamui** \- Thank you for your comments! Nice to see you over on dA!

 **ArtificialRangerLiuria** \- LOL. I just couldn't start an MMX2 story without that guy getting screwed over once again.

* * *

X secured the factory that night, bringing down a monstrous mechaniloid defending its production floor. The main threat neutralized, X met with little trouble as he mopped up the rest of the Maverick forces. Backup from the Maverick Hunters arrived shortly thereafter, only to stand by in shock as X emerged from the factory alone to give them the all-clear.

The victory prompted a landslide of positive headlines for X and the Maverick Hunters. Spirits among the Hunters soared, yet X felt increasingly uneasy. The incident at the factory gave him nothing concrete, yet he could not shake the feeling that something far more complex was at work.

As a precaution, X ordered the bulk of the Maverick Hunter forces to reinforce security for all shelters and supply depots. Then, he waited.

* * *

Later that week, a lone Hunter stumbled across the threshold of Dr. Cain's manor, falling onto his knees.

"Commander! Commander!" he yelled, gasping between his cries.

Hearing the commotion, X dashed for the front door. Seeing the Hunter, he kneeled down to help him up.

"I'm here," X said. "What do you have?"

After several labored breaths, the Hunter said, "Rebellion at the Crystal Mines!"

"Size?"

"Unknown, but we have sightings of a highly-specialized Reploid in charge!"

"They have a leader? Good. Maybe we can find out more about these incidents. Have everyone hold until I can-"

X stopped short when he heard footsteps clip-clop up the steps. Another Hunter barreled through the door, nearly bowling over the first. She, too, needed a moment to catch her breath.

"Commander," she gasped. "Mavericks are overrunning the desert missile base!"

"I thought that was dismantled after the war?"

"Yes, but-," the Hunter hesitated.

"But what?"

"There is still an active missile stored there. They could launch it at the city at anytime!"

X felt as though a weight dropped into the pit of his stomach. He hoped that he kept his alarm from showing as the two Hunters looked at him with fear in their expressions. While the state of the Hunters may have been able to handle one organized Maverick attack, two threatened to stretch their forces dangerously thin. He said, "Order units B-37 and 38 to reinforce the mines until I can deal with the missile threat."

Before the two Hunters could salute in acknowledgement, more footsteps sounded. A third Hunter burst into the home.

"Sir! A tank! A goddamned tank the size of an aircraft carrier is tearing through the city!"

X blinked at him in disbelief. Two attacks may have been coincidence, but three confirmed for X that a far more sinister plot must be behind these crises.

He blanched when another messenger came to the door. Then another, and another, until eight separate reports confronted X. No longer just a plot, these events comprised a full declaration of war against the Maverick Hunters.

X willed himself to remain in control, yet he clenched his fists tight as he scanned the worried faces before him. "I won't lie to you. The Hunters don't have the strength to deal with these fronts all at once. The Maverick Hunters' priority now must be to protect the citizens. They must be evacuated from the conflict zones. I will handle the Mavericks, then signal you when it is safe to return."

"Commander," one of the Hunters said. "You're going by yourself?"

X gave her a brief smile, then said, "This isn't my first rodeo."

"What? I mean, sir?"

X shook his head. "Nevermind. You have your orders. Now go!"

The Hunters saluted him, and they hurried from the residence. Meanwhile, X raced to Dr. Cain's lab. With the massive computer there, he knew he could quickly research the sites under attack. While the computer fetched the data for display, X obsessed over the bigger picture. Who ordered these attacks, and why now? Could have have foreseen it, if not for his inexperience?

He rubbed his face and sighed. The role of Commander challenged him, yet he never felt so inadequate as in that moment. Not only were so many lives at stake, but the fragile trust the humans placed in him threatened to shatter.

"X? What's the matter?"

X turned to see Dr. Cain enter the lab. X approached him and said, "You must leave the city as soon as possible. The Mavericks, they-," X swallowed. "Another war has broken out. They've taken a number of key facilities."

"And I suppose you're planning to face them all by yourself?" the doctor said, folding his arms.

X nodded.

"In that case, I'm not going anywhere. You just might need someone to support you this time."

"Doctor, it's not safe. What if they learn that you're here?"

"I haven't lived this long to not have a few tricks up my sleeve."

"Doctor."

"You don't have time to argue with me, either."

X chuckled. "Are all humans this stubborn?"

"When they care about something? Usually. Now, let's get you to the teleporter."

"Aye, aye," X said, smiling. He followed the doctor through the laboratory until they came to the one lone teleport capsule in Dr. Cain's possession. The first time he used it during the previous Maverick war, X hardly believed it when the doctor said the device was over twenty years old. The doctor explained further that a colleague bequeathed it to him, but declined to explain the circumstances further. Fearing it defective, the doctor felt content to let it collect dust- until X showed him what a vital piece of technology it truly was.

X tiptoed over the mess of cables connecting the teleporter to the computer. He punched into the command console the coordinates of his first target. As he stepped into the capsule, he felt his skin prickle as the computer locked onto him. He then disappeared in a beam of sky blue light.

* * *

Two Maverick leaders soon fell before X's buster, yet neither revealed any clues as to the greater scheme X suspected to be at work. He felt like a pawn, like someone was manipulating him just as they did the Mavericks. Frustrated, he returned to home base.

As he stepped off the teleporter, Dr. Cain rushed to him, saying, "X! Thank goodness! Come with me! Hurry!"

"What is it?"

The doctor guided him to the communication's console. "We received an encoded message while you were gone. Origin unknown." After a spate of typing, the doctor pressed a final button, and a shrill voice blared:

Greetings, X. Allow us to introduce ourselves. We are the X-Hunters. As long as you are not too busy with the entertainment we have arranged out there for you, the three of us have a challenge for you that we know you will be interested in.

Pictures flashed on screen of the mangled remains of a Reploid being hauled out of the ocean by a crane. Horrified, X recognized the grotesque jumble of armor and wiring instantly.

"No!" X yelled at the screen.

"Oh my. Oh my dear me," Dr. Cain remarked, bringing a hand to his lips in shock.

The message continued:

We have Zero. Well, not all of him. That's why each of us is inviting you to a duel. We can't complete our master's work without you! Coordinates are contained with this message. See you soon!

As the recording cut out, and X backed away from the screen, still displaying the pieces of Zero's body. X tried to make out his face, but threads of his blonde ponytail, turned by the seawater into disheveled, blackened tangles, obscured much of it. As X recalled their final moments together, of Zero's unwavering faith and trust in him, it sickened him to see Zero's body in such a state of disfigurement- of desecration. X's jaw tightened, and he marched for the teleporter.

"Load the coordinates these 'X-Hunters' gave us."

"Now wait just a moment. You should not be this hasty! This is clearly a trap," the doctor said, following behind X.

"I don't care."

"We should have a plan."

"My plan is to get him back."

"You're emotional, X."

"Of course I'm emotional!"

Dr. Cain jumped at X's outburst.

X surprised himself as well. "I'm sorry," he said, turning to face the doctor. "Just the thought of Mavericks getting their hands on him makes me so angry."

"I'm angry, too, X. I know how much he meant to you."

"Then you know that I have to get him back, at any cost!"

Dr. Cain regarded him, pressing his lips together. He then sighed and moved to the teleporter. He input the coordinates and said, "As long as you know what you're doing. Just be careful."

Nodding to the doctor with gratitude, X entered the teleporter once more. While he still cared about his duty and saving the city and its innocent citizens, those terrible pictures now filled every corner of his mind. If his efforts meant he could save Zero, too, then no Maverick could hope to stop him from seeing the war to its end.


	6. Part One

The first set of coordinates brought him to a simple, single-panel door. So simple that it caused X to pause his stride and examine it for triggers and traps. Seeing nothing else unusual, doubts filled his mind. He felt so sure about the authenticity of the X-Hunters challenge, but now he hesitated. Perhaps they sent him nothing but a cruel prank, laden with faked images of the 'Zero' they found. Maybe nothing but a storage closet awaited him behind that door, ready to make him feel like an idiot and a gullible fool.

He reached for the door release. He realized that despite his worries, he needed to know the truth, no matter what happened to his pride.

Yet as the door slid open, it revealed nothing at all like a storage closet. In the low light, X found instead a well-equipped laboratory. He stepped past the threshold, glancing around with curiosity at the microscopes, monitors, and all manner of test tubes to stasis capsules.

Across from him, his eyes fell on a capsule containing some sort of suspension. Within the liquid floated a peculiar, charred object, but as X approached it, he recognized it as a limb of a Reploid. A leg, along with a partial section of its hip. Its thigh appeared to have been skeletonized by fire, but the armor of the lower leg and feet, though melted and caked with slag, still showed a gold band wrapped around the ankle.

X placed his hand on the glass of the capsule, gazing up at the piece in awe. He no longer doubted the honesty of his foes.

Suddenly, a forcefield activated around the capsule, causing X to leap back. A low voice barked, echoing through the lab: "Seems the master was was right- Zero is the _perfect_ bait for you!"

X whipped around, seeing a Reploid approach. The figure stepped from the shadow, its orange and yellow exterior a bright contrast against the drab gray of the laboratory. Bulky and barrel-shaped, the spikes covering his knuckles and shoulders made him appear all the more fearsome. More intimidating still, he carried a gargantuan flail upon his back, connected to the back of his head by a chain.

The Reploid's green eyes flashed, and he said, "I am Violen, X-Hunter!"

"What are you planning to do?" X said.

"Are you really so daft? Our master demands we rebuild Zero, and turn him loose against your pathetic Maverick Hunters. Our research is nearly complete."

X straightened and balled his fists. "I'm sorry your master considers you expendable, then. Who is he?"

"Pah! That won't matter to you once I've crushed your body like a tin can. Then we can extract what we need!"

The massive flail shot out from Violen's back. It's chain tightened, and the spiked ball slammed down onto the ground before him. Dust clouds erupted from the impact, and the lab trembled from the force. It bounced again in an arc, then again, closing in on X's position. The tremors knocked over beakers and flasks, some rolling off of shelves and shattering against the floor.

X retained just enough footing to dodge the assault, the flail's spikes coming within inches of skewering him. The flail whipped and bounced back toward Violen, and came to rest on his back. Violen then thrust out his hand, its fingertips retracting into barrels that fired a scatter of energy bullets. X dashed to the nearest wall, scaling it to avoid the attack.

"Stand still al-, argh!" Violen staggered as he received a faceful of a charged shot from X, who angled his buster downward as he slid against the wall.

Violen roared in anger, swinging the spiked ball at X.

Their battle continued, each whittling down the other's energy. Soon every table, every viable piece of equipment littered the floor in broken pieces. Only the capsule containing Zero's part remained intact, protected by its forcefield. It, too, flickered as Violen's flail continued to bounce around the chamber after X.

Then, Violen swung the flail across. He soon realized his mistake when X ducked from the blow, and flail continued on to collide with Zero's capsule. The energy of the forcefield sputtered, then discharged over the flail and down it's chain. The discharge entered the back of Violen's head, and he seized as the energy flow shorted his systems.

"Ugh!" Violen managed to say, his hand snapping to the back of his head. His green eyes blinked, and the flail's chain sagged.

The discharge also caused the tempered glass of the capsule to rupture as spiderweb cracks ran up its sides. Solution seeped out of the cracks, pooling into a viscous puddle on the ground.

X stepped before Violen, over his chain, and aimed his buster to finish off the stricken Maverick. He stopped, however, when the latter held up his other hand.

"No," Violen said. The light in his eyes continued to flicker. "The reunification! What have I done?"

X saw the chain of the flail tighten, and Violen reeled it back in rapidly. X side-stepped the oncoming flail as it skidded across the ground.

"Fine! Take it! The others will make up for this setback!" Violen shouted as the flail reattached itself to his back. In a single leap, he ascended up to the high ceiling, grabbing onto the lip of a large ventilation duct.

"Stop!" X shouted, but Violen ignored him. The Maverick hoisted himself up into the duct and disappeared.

Gritting his teeth, X reverted his buster arm. He hated allowing such a powerful foe to escape, but his concern now fell on the capsule behind him. X found the fluid halfway drained, and Zero's leg crumpled near the bottom of the capsule. He raised his fist and struck the weakened glass, chipping it away until the rest of the liquid spilled out of the hole he created. Covered in the suspension, X reached inside the capsule and hauled out the leg part of his beloved friend.

* * *

"Doctor, doctor!" X yelled, stepping off of the teleporter. In his arms, he carried the leg piece of Zero.

"Look at what you're tracking in!" Dr. Cain said. X glanced behind him, noticing the trail of slime he left behind.

"Sorry," X said. "But look!" He held up Zero's leg.

"My goodness! It appears those X-Hunters were telling the truth after all. Hurry, place that over here."

Dr. Cain showed him to a gurney, where for the time being X placed Zero's part. "I met one of the X-Hunters. Violen, he called himself."

The doctor put a finger to his chin. "Violen, hmm? Where have I heard that name before?"

X gazed down at the leg. "He said they were planning to rebuild him. Is that even possible?"

Dr. Cain look a moment to examine the part, running his finger along the deformed armor.

"Just by looking at the damage to this single part, it would be a miracle to accomplish without his blueprints." As he said the words, the doctor's eyes then widened with realization. "His blueprints!"

"What?"

The doctor grabbed X's arm with both hands. "When I moved back here from the basement lab over at the Maverick Hunters, I made sure I copied every piece of information we gathered on Zero, including his exact build!"

"Doctor," X said, suddenly feeling weak in his legs. His face alighted with hope. "Are you suggesting that _we_ rebuild him?"

The doctor released him saying, "Yes! And while you gather up the rest of Zero from those scoundrels, I will begin restoring him based on our research. However, this may take some time depending on the state of his other parts."

X smiled, ear-to-ear. "That's okay! I'll go get the rest of his parts right away! Thank you, doctor!"

"Be careful now."

X made it only halfway to the teleporter capsule before he began to daydream. He imagined touching Zero's hand, or an errant strand of blonde hair. He saw Zero waking up and looking over to him with fresh and soulful eyes. He confessed his sorrow over what happened, only to see Zero crack a knowing smile. This time, it might be him who leans over to press his lips against-

"X? Aren't you going?"

Jarred from his thoughts by the doctor's voice, X realized he was standing there, staring at the teleporter's input console.

"Um, yes!" X said, coolly dancing his fingers across the pad. Composing himself, he realigned his focus on his work that still remained unfinished. He entered the capsule. One step at a time, he thought.

* * *

 **Enci987 -** Happy to give you a mention! I can't wait to finish the rest of this now since I have a pretty good idea of how it will play out, and (hopefully) address those theories in a way that's entertaining/satisfying.

 **angel-kamui** \- Thank you. I thought that having the X-Hunters confront X with Zero's remains would be the best way to push X's buttons and bait him out. Won't they be sorry? :cD


	7. Parts, Too

X faced the second door. Its pleated sections blended in with the metal sheeting of the wall around it, making it rather plain and inconspicuous. This time, X knew looks were deceiving.

He lifted the door and entered into the interior of a large storage depot. Large flood lights illuminated stacks upon stacks of freight containers and plywood crates. They surrounded him like the walls of a maze. He scanned the corridors inbetween the piles or cargo, seeing little more than the odd abandoned forklift. He looked up to see long tracks of rails snaking across the ceiling, the latter supported by thick, steel-plated columns. From the rails dangled both pincer cranes and industrial magnets, suspended from thick cables like robotic chandeliers.

X suspected the workers abandoned the facility shortly after the war broke out. Aside from his own footsteps, X heard only the background buzz of electricity. He seemed to be alone, but kept his senses sharp as he passed by a mound of crates.

Suddenly, his instincts compelled him to roll forward, just as a magenta-colored arc slashed clean through the crates. A second behind, and the slash would have bisected X as well.

X turned to see the sliced crates slide, then scatter to pieces when they hit the ground. Behind them, a tall, svelte figure emerged. Colored with purples and violets, his appearance suggested something like a jester, with broad, crescent shoulders and coattails, and a strangely-folded hat. Most unsettling of all, the Reploid's solid white eyes drooped even as he smiled at X.

"You are quite formidable, X. They call me Agile. I've looked forward to meeting you."

"Where's Zero?" X demanded.

"Straight to business, then. I'll give you five seconds to look around."

Cautiously, X glanced around, then upward. After scanning for a moment, he spotted it. Held in the pincers of crane, another suspension capsule - like that in Violen's lab - dangled over the warehouse floor.

"You-," X stopped when he caught Agile rushing at him with his magenta energy sword. X brought his arm up and blocked the strike.

With their arms pinned against one another, Agile said, "Why don't you surrender? The extraction will be painless. We can make sure you get to see your dear Zero one last time before he destroys you!"

"What extraction? What is this really all about?" With a grunt, X flung the purple Reploid off of him.

"The master knows you have it, yet you feign ignorance?" Agile swung at X again, slashing the air viciously.

X evaded, rolling to the side. Rising to his feet he said, "You're talking nonsense!"

"So be it. Die!"

They clashed, and Agile challenged X's quickness even more so than Violen had. They dueled for some time, disturbing the quiet air of warehouse with shouts and clanging metal. Plywood crates exploded into thousands of splinters as X's missed buster shots tore through them. Slashes from Agile's beam saber split through crates, equipment, and spilled cargo alike, flinging debris everywhere.

Caught up in the battle, neither yet noticed the cinders beginning to rise in their wake of destruction. As one of Agile's attacks ripped through a large shipping container, X discovered the danger when the materials inside exploded into flame. Through a haze of dust and ash, X glanced toward the suspension capsule and the crane holding it. He needed to free Zero's parts, and quickly.

"There!" Agile shouted, bringing his saber down. X blocked Agile's saber from striking, but failed to stop the brutal kick Agile delivered to his belly. The kick sent X hurling into one of the steel columns. He bounced off of the steel and fell onto his stomach. He gasped as pain rippled through his core.

As he lifted his head up, he took notice of a control console whirring nearby. Its monitor rotated between camera shots of the various cranes in the vicinity.

"Surely you're not done already?" Agile called. X turned his head forward to watch Agile approach with his sword pointed at him.

X gritted his teeth and pushed himself onto one knee. Though he winced with pain, X feigned the severity of it by groaning and clutching his stomach. Taken in by the ruse, Agile grinned and dove toward him, thrusting with his saber.

X rolled to the side and, seeing Agile off-balance, rewarded his attacker with a charged buster shot. The shot knocked Agile away like a hand batting away a fly. Stunned, Agile cried out in a rage while X took the opportunity to dart for the controls.

After a quick search, he found what he was looking for. He slammed his palm on the activator button for the magnets. X listened to the hollow clang of the cranes as they engaged. Seeing several throttles for the magnetic field, he pushed every single lever all the way up.

A dull hum filled the air, and X felt magnetic waves pull on every inch of his armor. He gambled on Agile being more susceptible than he was, but he grasped the curved edges of the console with a death grip just in case. As the magnets charged to full strength, a bone-chilling cry of terror echoed through the warehouse.

Still gripping the console, X turned to see Agile grip his head and writhe. Not just susceptible, the magnetic waves tormented Agile into dropping his saber. The hilt flew upward and slammed into the magnet with a dull thud.

More loose metal and debris - some now coated in fire - joined the saber hilt. Soon a flurry of projectiles whisked through the air, whanging when they collided with the magnet. Bigger pieces came loose and twirled through the air like saws. While X began to feel nauseated by the strengthening magnetic field, Agile's screaming grew more and more panicked. Then, he stopped.

"You'll never live to see Zero!" Agile choked out. Then, in one swift motion, the magnet yanked him upward. X averted his eyes as Agile slammed into the jagged blob forming under the magnet plate of the crane. More large pieces followed, crushing him under more and more accumulation.

When X started feeling himself grow too light, he darted his hand out and throttled back the power. The dull hum receded. He leaped back as the blob of metal crashed into a heap on the ground, with flecks and particles billowing out from underneath it. X kept his eyes fixed on the heap as the last bits of scrap settled, waiting for any sign of life buried within.

For a moment, he thought about reaching into the gnarled and twisted metal and digging Agile out. The crackling sound of fire, however, made him reconsider. The flames grew high and hot, and X estimated only a few minutes before they engulfed the warehouse. He took one more long look at the pile of metal, then dashed to the area where Zero's capsule hung from the crane.

However, X instead discovered the capsule on the ground. It split open, with fluid running out like a broken egg. He supposed it came loose while the magnet was active. The glass crunched under his feet as he leaned down and pulled from the goop next of Zero's parts: his other leg, as well as his left forearm.

* * *

X stumbled from the teleporter pad, almost dropping the parts. He coughed and sputtered, glad to be in the fresh air again.

"X! The floor!" Dr. Cain shouted.

X glanced back at his trail of slime and soot. "We'll have to do something about that." He continued on to deposit the parts onto the same gurney as before. The absence of Zero's other leg caused X to search around until he noticed Dr. Cain moved it to a more suitable mount, one much nearer to the computer. X approached the doctor, the latter darting between Zero's leg and the computer screen, examining Zero's specs closely before returning to Zero. Back and forth, back and forth.

X smiled in awe as he noticed the doctor managed to restore most of the armor from grime and corrosion that covered it. The familiar, bright red contrasted greatly with the copper brown of the parts he just returned with. He still had trouble believing that these parts were the real thing, the real Zero.

"Welcome back," Dr. Cain said.

"Thank-," A jolt of pain coursed through X's torso, taking him by surprise. He leaned forward, bracing himself on a piece of monitoring equipment.

"Are you alright?" the doctor said, looking up sharply. He came to X's side.

"The X-Hunter I met made me work a little harder for those other parts. Agile was his name."

"Agile? Violen and Agile. I know I have heard those names before," the doctor said. "Curse this old brain of mine!"

"He said something about extracting something from me. They both did. Do you have any idea what they could want from me?"

The doctor stroked his chin. "If they are trying to rebuild Zero, it could have something to do with the control chip. Zero's is quite unique. Yours is unique as well."

"They need my control chip?"

"It's only a guess. I'm not entirely sure how they could get yours to work with Zero's body. Perhaps they need a template?"

X straightened from the wall, feeling the pain subside. "I guess we'll find out what's missing when I find the rest of him."

The doctor reached for X's arm. "Are you sure you're in any shape to go back out there?"

"I'll be fine. I can't stop now."

* * *

 **AN:** on Agile's defeat- it's kinda ridiculous, I know. But hear me out: A) his weakness is magnet mine, and B) just how did he become that freaky abomination when you fight him again?

I hope, dear readers, that you're still along for the ride now that this fic has become more of a story. Payoff is coming, my fellow X/Zero fans!


	8. The Sage

No door impeded him this time- only a damp corridor, with dim orange lights carved into the rock every fifty paces. X sprinted for an interminable length, but the briny smell in the air grew stronger as he traveled. A pinpoint of sunlight appeared in the distance, beckoning him on.

The jagged, rocky walls of the corridor ended, transitioning into smoother bricks. X emerged from the corridor, and found himself on a platform carved from an ocean cliff face. From the platform ran a wooden dock, curving down and around for a considerable length. The dock lead to the edge of a natural harbor carved out of the tall rock. Moored within, a very long, flat ship bobbed in the waves. The shape of it suggested a dredging vessel, as did the cranes curving out from its deck like the legs of a crab.

X hurried down the dock, its wooden planks creaking and groaning. He wiped his face as the turbulent ocean waves splashed high against the posts and sprayed him with a coat of seawater.

As he neared the ship, he spotted a strange, disc-shaped platform hovering over the planks. X slowed, then paused to examine it. Suddenly, the lights on its rim brightened, and X heard a voice that cut through the noise of the roiling waves, seeming almost telepathic.

"X. The variable. Light's last hope."

"Who's there?" X called out.

"Yet you have a terrible weakness."

A metallic rattle sounded as a crane on the vessel engaged and rotated. Dangling high over the waves from its hook, the upper half of Zero's body came into view, comprising his torso, his head, and buster arm. He slumped forward like a hanged man.

"How could you let this happen?" the voice asked. "Didn't you love him?"

Zero's mangled torso shuddered as the crane ground to a halt. There was no capsule, no containment. Just Zero, exposed, presented to X like a butchered animal. X clenched his teeth, and his eyes stung. He spun around, searching for the speaker. "Show yourself!" he shrieked.

Lights on the hovering platform flashed, and on its surface a Reploid materialized. He had the design of an old man: hunched over, with white whiskers curving up from his lips, chin, and behind his ears. A black fez crowned his head, pairing with the black cloak draping over his body. His right eye bugged out, red like an infared bulb, while his other, grim and narrow, pinned X with hostile intensity. He said, "I am Serges. You wish for the unification as much as we do. Why do you not submit?"

"What 'unification'? I just want my partner back! Give Zero back!"

Serges continued, "Your conflict awakened us. An an age-old prophecy is at hand. We have been waiting. We have been waiting so very long."

"I don't understand," X replied.

"No. Your creator deprived you of understanding. That's why you shall fail."

X hesitated. "What do you know of my creator?"

Serges cackled, then roared with laughter.

"Answer me!" X shouted.

Serges unwrapped himself from his cloak and tossed it away. "En garde!"

Serges darted forward on his platform, aiming to bowl X over. X fell forward onto the dock, feeling a gust on his back as Serges passed over him. X leaped to his feet, charging a buster shot with which he turned and fired.

The shot dissipated around Serges, absorbed by a forcefield. Serges cackled again as he rotated on the platform. The platform launched toward X again, dropping explosives from its undercarriage.

X turned and sprinted, his mind working to concoct a strategy as he approached the side of the dredger. He heard the explosives detonate, and looked over his shoulder to see the dock explode into splinters behind Serges, with the latter still in hot pursuit.

Running out of dock, X leaped onto the side of the dredger and wall-jumped until he reached the deck. He vaulted over the side and he charged up another shot, turning to aim at Serges' platform when it appeared.

A pause. He expected Serges to appear right behind him, but instead he waited in uncertain silence. But just when he thought to investigate, a blur flew high above him. At the height of his jump, Serges somersaulted, and a barrage of energy baubles spouted from his fez in an arc. The baubles punctured through the hull of the deck, sending splinters and metal flying. The attack forced X to dodge, bringing his arm up to protect his face from the debris.

The floating platform caught Serges as he landed and charged once more at X, giving the latter no pause for thought. More explosives tumbled out of the platform, some falling down into ruptures in the deck. When they detonated, the vessel shook violently, sending up more debri and widening the ruptures further.

All X thought to do was run. Suddenly, a sharp pain stabbed through his core, stopping him short as he doubled over. The fierce tremors running through the ship pushed him further off balance. Falling forward onto his knees, he clutched his stomach, silently cursing his injuries from Agile.

In his weakened state, X could do nothing as Serges collided with the back of his head. X's vision flickered and shorted from the blow, feeling his consciousness fade in and out as Serges flung him across the deck. X rolled, coming to rest on his back. He tried to get up, but his pain and dizziness only allowed him to prop himself onto his elbows. When he opened his eyes, he found Serges hovering before him.

Serges said, "You will give us what we need."

"No!" X ground out.

Serges did not reply at once, instead producing a handheld device. Mounted on the casing, X spied a large blue crystal. Above it, he also spied a strange, W-shaped insignia.

"I'm afraid you don't have a choice," Serges said. He activated the device, turned a dial, then thrust it toward X. The crystal emitted a pale blue light, its rays dancing across X's upper body.

X felt a tingling in his extremities, similar to what he felt when he absorbed another Reploid's abilities. Then, a gentle pull on his forehead.

A moment later, the device latched onto something within him. The pull became a wrenching, as the data it sought ripped through his circuits and came to the surface. X's vision blanked out, and he thought his head might tear off. He sat up, crying out in pain. He covered the red crystal on his forehead with his hands. "Stop!" he cried, squeezing his eyes shut.

Then, suddenly, the pressure receded like an outgoing wave. The data crashed back into X, momentarily relieving him of pain. X's eyes flew open at the peculiar sensation. His hands fell from his forehead, revealing a red light glowing from his crystal. Something was counteracting the device. Something just pulled back.

Serges grunted. He turned the dial and pointed it again at X. The crystal shone brighter, bathing X entirely in its light.

The wrenching returned, and X cried out, feeling like the device would tear him in half. However, his red crystal responded, its light matching the intensity of the blue crystal on the device. X's pain subsided, and he felt the same rush of data flow back into him.

"How can this be? How can you refuse the transfer!" Serges then shouted, smacking the device in frustration. "You are just mere data. You cannot refuse us!"

X's crystal answered with a bright flash. The blue crystal shattered, causing the device to explode in Serges' hand. Serges cried out, his hand mangled from the blast. The forcefield around him shorted, then retracted.

Seizing the opportunity, X launched himself at Serges. He reeled his fist back and slammed his knuckles against Serges' large red eye. The lens burst into thousands of red shards. The blow sent Serges tumbling backward off of his platform. X stepped back, training his buster on Serges. The light from his crystal receded, returning to its normal state.

"You have only delayed us," Serges said, rising to his feet. He quickly hoisted himself back onto the platform. "We will complete our task. We will scour all of Light's creation from the planet."

"Hey!" X shouted. Serges began to dematerialize from the platform. X fired a shot, but it sailed through Serges. Once he disappeared, the platform clanged to the ground, dead of all power.

X growled with frustration. He lowered his buster arm, pondering what just occurred. He rubbed the back of his head, feeling out the damage there.

The ear-splitting screech of scraping metal distracted him, drawing his attention to the damaged ship. Loud creaks and snapping wood followed. He realized Zero was still dangling over the ocean, and he broke into a run towards the dockside of the ship. Wide breaks in the deck stymied him, but he could see Zero still hanging from the crane's hook. However, his battle with Serges caused Zero to slip. He swung only by his right arm, loosely wedged in the curve of the hook.

"I'm coming!" X shouted, though he knew Zero could not hear him. He leaped across the deck, the turbulent ocean pulling the ship apart right underneath him.

Next he scaled the crane, climbing until he could reach the chain holding Zero aloft. With care, X grabbed onto it and shimmied down.

A loud crack split the air. The crane shook, and the chain swayed as the ship burst open along its side and listed heavily. X looked down, only to see Zero start to slip free. Without a second thought as to the depth of the water, X let go of the chain and dove after him.

He struck the water, diving deep in search of Zero. He panicked, unable to see much in the silty murk. He swam further down. Then, he saw a tendril of seaweed snake up into view. Not seaweed, hair.

X burst from the surface of the waves with Zero cradled in his arm. With his other, he paddled himself toward the pillars of the ruined dock. Finding an intact section, he strained to pull himself and Zero out of the waves. He hoisted Zero onto the wooden planks, then himself. He then squatted down, scooping up his waterlogged friend, gently placing the right arm over his shoulder. He cradled Zero carefully in both arms as he straightened. Jostled, Zero's chin rolled into the crook of X's neck, and errant strands of hair tickled his cheek.

"Let's go home, buddy."

* * *

Like his other parts, layers of grime and decay muddied the red coloring of Zero's armor, with splits and cracks running over every inch. One of Zero's eyes was completely gouged out, and bruises colored his cheeks with black and blue splotches. The blue crystal on his forehead, too, chipped under whatever forces mutilated him in the collapse of Sigma's fortress.

X lost track of how long he stood next to Zero, staring at his beaten and broken face. Perhaps the gruesomeness piqued a morbid curiosity in him, or perhaps it was Zero's eerie serenity in contrast that fascinated him.

On the other side of the gurney, Dr. Cain glanced up at X. He said, "I hope he appreciates just how far beyond the call of mere friendship you've gone."

"He'd do the same if our positions were reversed," X said.

Dr. Cain chuckled. He reached out to X with a towel in hand. "Yes, I'm sure he would."

X took the towel from him and wrapped it around his shoulders. "How is the rest of him doing?"

The doctor scratched his beard. "His lower halves are nearly joined, and I've cleaned off much of the armor. I wish I could take all the credit, but even in this state, his pieces are reaching out to one another."

"What do you mean?" X said, cocking his head.

"Some of his pieces I only loosely connected together before they began to fusing on their own. I've studied his blueprints extensively- his repair should have taken me weeks, months! Now, I estimate only a few days before Zero is whole again. Much by his own accord, so long as I can feed him material. What a marvel!"

X looked down at Zero. "A few days?"

"Yes. Why don't you help me get him over there so we can begin right away?"

X leaned down and scooped Zero back up. He followed the doctor to where he mounted Zero's lower half and helped him fit the upper half on top. To X's astonishment, when the pieces touched, Zero's single eye opened, and the iris flickered with green light.

"Just like old times, eh?" the doctor said, nudging X.

X smiled. "Yeah." He brought his hand up to rest on Zero's shoulder. "But I won't give up on him this time."

* * *

 **A/N:** I'm actually not sure what kind of 'hat' is on Serges' head in the game- I went with fez, but if anyone has a correction, please let me know!

 **Enci987:** You were correct! Poor X getting the crap beat out of him. XD

 **angel-kamui:** I agree! ARGH! Well, that's where us crazy fans come in I suppose. I'd be out of a 'job' here if Capcom had their act together. LOL


	9. The Last Part

With some remaining Maverick leaders to defeat, X kept himself occupied in the battlefield while Dr. Cain attended to Zero's repair. Though Zero occupied much of his thoughts, X slipped back into his Commander role as the days went by. He looked over reports and issued new orders to the Hunters to secure the territory he secured. X, in turn, prepared and delivered timely progress reports for the human council, who were eager to know when the city would be habitable again.

X hesitated to approve of citizens returning to their homes and businesses. While the end to the rebellion was within reach, the X-Hunters still remained at large. Until X located their lair and destroyed them for good, innocent lives were still in danger. This is what X told the council. He omitted any mention Zero, whom they still considered killed in action. He thought it safer if he kept that detail to himself until he could say with certainty that Zero could return to service.

After delivering his report, X retreated to the laboratory. He searched the lab for Dr. Cain, but instead discovered a note attached to one of the consoles:

 _If I am not here, please do not be alarmed. As Zero's repair continues to go well, I thought it a good opportunity to get in some rest. I will return soon._  
 _\- Cain_

X frowned as he read the note. Occupied with his own troubles, he neglected to consider how the doctor fared. Sometimes, X overlooked the doctor's frailty- that he was merely flesh and blood. He forgot that humans could not spend just a few hours in a maintenance bed to recover their strength.

He pushed aside his thoughts when he glanced over to Zero. The latter lay reclined in a repair capsule, not unlike the one he was in when X first saw him for the first time. X took in his condition now, and the dramatic improvements that occurred while X was away. Zero's bright red armor lacked any speck of filth; the cracks in his armor healed completely. His missing eye was restored, and the crystal of his forehead and chest were mended. He looked healthy, great even, and devoid of any residual scarring or deformation. Though the doctor estimated a short time frame, X found it difficult to reconcile his memory of Zero's ruined body with the fully restored one laying before him.

A new addition to Zero's armor fascinated him as well: a pair of pauldrons capping Zero's shoulders, with the right side sporting the signature 'Z' of his namesake. X approached him, reaching out to graze his fingers along their edges.

Zero's eyes flew open. X flinched and took back his hand, startled. After he regained his composure, leaned in and whispered, "Zero?"

No response. Zero's eyes stared ahead blankly. X stepped closer and grasped Zero's hand. The hand felt heavy and cold.

Then, suddenly, Zero lifted his head.

"Zero?" X said again, releasing Zero's hand. Zero's expression remained frozen, though his pupils dilated.

Then, just as rapidly, Zero fell back into the capsule.

X knitted his brow. He felt unsure whether Zero just demonstrated a sign of progress or the opposite. The strangeness of it worried him nonetheless.

His worry intensified when Zero repeated the motion. Head came up, his eyes adjusting, then went back down again. He repeated the motion again, then again. When Zero showed no sign of stopping, X stepped backward, then darted from the lab.

"Doctor! Doctor!" he shouted, running through the halls. X felt a knot twist in his stomach, feeling overwhelmed with alarm, but also with disappointment. He should have expected that his difficulties would continue.

* * *

"I'm sorry for having to wake you," X said. "I know you need the rest."

"It's quite fine. I should have gotten up a while ago anyway," the doctor replied, punctuating with a yawn.

X admired the doctor's patience, even when he had to lie to X.

The doctor continued, "Now, let's see what is going on here." He turned to the diagnostic panel near Zero, the latter still caught in his repetitive cycle. "Hmm, yes. Yes, I see," he mumbled to himself.

X shifted on his feet, eager to know what went wrong. He looked away from Zero, but the noise of the perpetual rising and falling continued to stir his anxiety.

"Well," the doctor finally said, turning to X. "Our theory about the control chip wasn't far off. However, it's not the chip itself that's causing the problem."

"What is?"

Dr. Cain put a finger to his chin. "How to explain. The chip must acquire an OK from each of his systems before it will allow him to boot normally. He seems to be caught in a cycle where the chip activates, looks for the OK, then shuts him down when it cannot locate it."

X cocked his head. "There's something still missing?"

"Precisely. But it's not a physical part. It's data."

"Data," X repeated, thinking to himself. He thought about his encounters with the X-Hunters, and with Serges. He thought about the strange force that counteracted Serges' device that tried to pull something out of him. Then, his fingers flew to the red crystal on his forehead. "I have it!"

"What?"

"The missing data. It's what the X-Hunters wanted all along!"

Dr. Cain's eyes widened. "Yes, that's right!" He turned back to the diagnostic screen. "The data you retained from Zero. Of course!"

"How do I give it back to him?" X said, excitement energizing him.

After a pause, the doctor turned back to him. "We could download it from you to the computer, then transfer it to Zero. It may take some time, especially if the data needs more to reintegrate."

"How long?"

"I estimate two to three days."

X looked over Zero, pondering the options. He said, "There isn't a faster way?"

"We could also connect you directly, which would take much less time."

X blinked at him. "But that's risky."

"Right. I can't guarantee what would happen if we tried a direct link. The first option would be safest for you."

X turned back to Zero. He never linked his memory to another like himself before. He never knew of the possibility until that point. Reploids had little reason to do such a thing, as the risk of contaminating ones own memories, or that of another, would have deterred anyone from the practice. If X lost his focus, then he faced the real chance of his memory being altered, overwritten, deleted - or doing the same to Zero. But if X could deliver the data and get out, he could have Zero back - really back - that very day.

"Let's try it," X finally said.

"X," Dr. Cain began. "Don't be silly. Can you not wait even two days?"

"The X-Hunters may return at any moment. I-, we need Zero up and moving on his own as soon as possible," X said. He sighed, looking down at his hands. "I-," he began again. "I also can't wait any longer. I need him back," he confessed.

Dr. Cain studied him. "Are you very sure?"

"I am."

The doctor held his gaze. He then relented with a sigh saying, "Help me with this equipment, then. I must insist that we monitor the both of you if that is your decision."

X agreed. He helped the doctor set up the connection. X fastened a cable to the connector on the back of his head, then dotted himself with adhesive leads for monitoring. He took a seat next to Zero, waiting for Dr. Cain to finish, setting up the monitoring station. Once ready, the doctor held out his hand, where X placed the other end of the cable.

Controlling his breathing, X willed himself to relax. He pretended this was like any other battlefield, where he needed to stay on his toes and react to any circumstance. With perseverance, he could get through this trial. He nodded to the doctor, who, after some difficulty with Zero's moving head, latched the cable to him.

An uncomfortable pressure instantly assaulted X's mind, forcing his eyes shut. Without a conscious mind on the other side to act as a gatekeeper, Zero's reaction to the interface was an uncontrolled rush of information and brazen probing. X took a deep breath and pushed back, forcing the invasion back.

X opened his eyes. His vision distorted and swirled, but he could make out Zero. X noted that the repetitive motion had ceased, his head lifted up. His eyes were still blank.

"How do you feel?" X heard Dr. Cain say, but in his head it sounded hollow. The distorted sights and sounds made him feel like X was in a glass bottle.

"I'm okay," X heard himself respond, though he did not feel his lips move.

He closed his eyes again and concentrated. He took his time, pushing through, but also reaching out to Zero. He wanted to connect, but not to startle. He understood the delicacy of his actions, for if X lost his concentration, or if Zero attacked him, then the flood of extraneous data he held at bay might snap back and corrupt him- scrambling not just his memory, but his cognition as well.

As he tested and eased himself against Zero's own barriers, a tinge of fear bolted through him. Not his. Zero's. The suddenness surprised X into hesitation, but he held fast. X could not be sure if Zero was aware in some way of his condition, or if the fear was due to X's presence. Either way, it pained X to consider that these feelings were trapped beneath Zero's malfunctioning systems.

"It's okay," X thought.

Another bolt of fear. X endured it.

"I'm only here to help."

Then, the barrier relented. Astonished, X felt Zero's mind take him in, like an ocean current sweeping him out into a dark open sea. However, the danger persisted. X felt himself being scanned and observed under intense scrutiny, as if drawn into a sea infested with sharks. The gaze examined him from all sides, searching him for weakness. One false move, one accident, and Zero's defenses threatened to collapse in all around him.

X allowed himself to be whisked by the current, beckoned further and further into Zero's dark recesses. When the current released him, he floated in the total darkness of an abyss, all sense of direction gone. He tumbled for an awkward minute.

"Here?" X thought.

He did not entirely expect a clear response, nor did he receive one. He did, however, feel another emotion pulse through him. Not fear this time. Anticipation.

With that cue, X released the portion of Zero's data he possessed.

X may have groaned out in the real world, he could not be sure. The transfer process electrified him, more than he anticipated, feeling his entire being pour out into the vastness. The flow outward felt strong and rapid, yet pleasant- and almost exhilarating. When the last of the data trickled out, X felt reluctant to close himself off just yet.

But that reluctance ended with a start. The current snatched him up, jerking him about in the dark. X fought to keep his panic from disrupting the connection, but his resolve crumbled with every thrash. X tore himself from Zero's grip and retreated, hoping to reach the safety of his own consciousness in time to slam the gate behind him.

And so he did, feeling himself within his own body again. He reached up to grasp the cable running into his head.

But he was too late. He froze with his arm up as images and sounds invaded his brain. The flood of information paralyzed him, trapping him in terror. He heard screams of agony, visions of blood and mangled corpses, of a white whiskered figure with a mad grin. Then, of himself. Of his curious expressions, his looks of concern, his tears, and his smiles.

Mercifully, the cable in the back of his head ripped free. He gasped when the visions and sounds ceased, like he were waking from a nightmare. He rubbed his face, then turned to see Dr. Cain looking as terrified as he did. In the doctor's hands he saw the end of the cable, still sputtering with electrical activity.

"That was too dangerous!" Dr. Cain admonished.

"I think I did it," X replied, rubbing the back of his head where the cable had attached. He checked over to Zero, who had collapsed back into the repair capsule. His eyelids drooped, prompting X to leap to his feet and stand over him.

The doctor clicked his tongue, setting down the cable end and moving to disconnect Zero. "His system took it as a shock. As yours almost did."

X touched his fingers to Zero's cheek. He thought about the horrors he witnessed, of the strange figure standing over him. With a tinge of apprehension, he wondered if he and Dr. Cain truly and fully erased every bit of memory from Zero's Maverick past when they repaired him the first time, before Sigma's rebellion.

"I'm sorry I worried you," X said.

Then, the doctor smiled. "Apology accepted. I know how love can be."

X's hand moved over to Zero's pauldrons. "What are these?"

"Oh, those," Dr. Cain said. "His joints seemed a bit loose there, so I whipped up a little reinforcement. We'll see if he likes those or not."

"Yeah," X said, his face brightening. "He'll be able to tell us soon."

Dr. Cain chuckled, then broke into a yawn. "Why don't you come get me when he's up and about? I'm going back to bed!"

X nodded. He watched the doctor leave, then retook his seat next to Zero. He, too, felt drowsy after the stress his systems just went through. With a smile, he recognized the familiar setting, and remembered how he fell into maintenance next to Zero. When he woke up then, Zero was there, healthy and alive.

X leaned forward. He rested his head near Zero's hand and closed his eyes.

* * *

 **A/N:** Welp, I did it. Wrote my own version of an X/Zero mindmeld/fuck. While I know the concept has been done before (with a big nod to Irihi B.W. for her lovely X/Zero fic), I went ahead with it hoping to present the idea in my own way. I wanted the process to come across more like high-stakes surgery- scary, and not something X would feel the desire to repeat.

 **angel-kamui:** This chapter ended up perhaps a little different than you expected, but hopefully that's not a bad thing!

 **Enci987:** I just had to give a little nod to the Serges-Wily theory. :-D Don't worry, I still have more horrible and wonderful things in store for X on the last leg of this fic!


	10. The Bomb

The sound of muffled yelling roused X from his dozing. He looked up sharply, only to frown as Zero still slumbered. He stood up, picking up Zero's hand as he did so. He released it, and with a heavy thud it dropped back into place.

"Come on, buddy," X whispered.

The yelling grew louder, closer. Annoyed, X marched out of the lab to see who or what the problem was.

"Commander X! Commander X!" X heard as he stepped out into the hallway.

"I'm here," X called back. "Stop shouting!" He rounded a corner and came to a stop when he almost ran into another Hunter. The latter jumped back, equally spooked by X's sudden appearance.

"Sorry, sir!" the Hunter said, saluting. "Commander, we have received a communication that requires your urgent attention!"

"Explain."

"From the Mavericks. The claim they've planted a bomb old headquarters, and that we have four hours to locate it!"

X put a hand to his chin. "Any demands?"

"No sir!"

"None whatsoever?"

The Hunter nodded.

"Have you verified the message?"

"A Maverick delivered it to the men at our sea base an hour ago. Looked like an old man, but he injured our men when they tried to arrest him. He said you would know who he is."

X's eyes lit up at the mention of the Maverick's appearance. "So we have three hours. We evacuated headquarters at least. Have men search for only an hour, then get out- I don't want to risk any lives for just a building."

The Hunter's mouth opened, but words caught in his throat. He shifted on his feet.

"What is it?" X asked.

Words rushed out of the Hunter's mouth. "Sir, the building is not evacuated. Many of the human civilians refused to leave when we issued the evacuation order."

"What! How could they refuse? Did you even try to persuade them?"

"Of course," the Hunter said with a huff. "But the humans are stubborn. The Hunters there need your presence right away."

X sighed, checking his frustration. "Right. I'm sorry. I know you and the Hunters did the best that you could." He shook his head, unnerved by this latest crisis. "Okay. I'm on my way headquarters now. Dismissed."

The Hunter saluted, and X turned to hurry back to the lab. His mind turned over the possibilities for why the X-Hunters threatened the old headquarters. Was there a strategic value to the location that he did not recognize? Did it contain something equally valuable? Or was this mere petty revenge for defeating them? Or due to some other fit of madness he could not understand?

He passed by Zero in the lab, still reclining, still repairing himself. X peered over him, checking once more for any sign of consciousness. When none came, he sighed and headed for the teleporter pad.

* * *

Chaos surrounded X upon arriving at the scene. A din of sirens, heavy vehicle motors, and excited voices filled the air. Hunters mounted atop trucks and ride armor attempted to keep order with their presence, but instead found themselves surrounded by angry and terrified mobs. X's ears caught a troubling exchange between one such mob and a peacekeeper:

"Where are you going to herd us this time?" a civilian asked.

"Yeah! Then happens when that shelter gets blown up by Mavericks?" another rejoined.

"Why can't you Hunters do something useful for once?"

Perched in his ride armor, the Hunter replied, "Just stay calm. We are going to deal with the situation, but above all, we will keep you safe so long as you follow our directions."

"Bullshit!" someone in the crowd hurled back at him.

"Yeah!"

Galvanized by the tension, X pushed through the crowd toward the ride armor. He needed to help his man, and to diffuse the strong fears coming from the humans. He sympathized with the Hunter attempting to reason with the crowd. Few Reploids understood that many humans act upon their fears first, and reason second.

"Hey! You're X!" someone said.

"Thank God!" another said.

"X?" The question bubbled through the crowd. The telltale blue seemed to answer them as X hopped onto the arm of the ride armor.

"Sir!" the Hunter greeted.

"Listen, everybody!" X announced, cupping a hand to his mouth. The chatter died down, not just for the crowd before him, but every soul in the vicinity quieted and turned their attention to X.

"I know you are scared. You have lost a great deal already. You want just want peace and normalcy! But so do we, the Maverick Hunters. We are on your side. I am on your side!"

X allowed a pause for the words to sink in, then continued, "I will be leading a team to search for the bomb. I hope to succeed. But if I fail, I want to know that you survived. That you carried your loved ones to safety. That innocent people didn't die for our mistakes. That's why we, the Maverick Hunters, exist. To fight and to die in your place."

People in the crowd looked at one another. Someone asked, "What should we do?"

"Follow them, and remain calm," X said, tapping the ride armor's plating. "If you trust me, then please trust them to take care of you!"

Without further protest, the civilians followed the Hunters, evacuating the premises in an orderly fashion.

Meanwhile, X took on Hunters as volunteers to assist him with the search. He instructed them to prioritize vulnerable sections of the building first. X also instructed them to leave the building within the hour if they turned up nothing.

However, none accepted the last order. All insisted they would find the bomb or die with X. Their dedication boosted X's confidence, and felt a pride in the Maverick Hunters like never before.

Thus they scoured the building for any sign of explosives or tampering. With scanners they searched weak points in support, storage facilities, laboratories, and other vulnerable areas. After an hour of coming up empty-handed, X felt a wave of apprehension. Not because they may not find the bomb, but rather he suspected something else, some other piece of the puzzle was missing.

They came upon the two hour mark. One of the Hunters accompanying X said, "It's been an honor, sir!"

"Don't give up yet," X replied.

Three hours passed without any major event. No explosions, no earthquakes. Though the danger seemed to have passed, the silent building confirmed X's suspicions of a bogus plot being at work.

"Are we sure the communication said four hours?" a Hunter asked.

X said, "It doesn't matter. I am starting to think there was no bomb here in the first place, but we will continue to search the building."

An additional hour passed before they completed the search. The search teams trickled in at a designated rendezvous point just outside the building. As X joined them, the Hunters questioned him:

"What's going on?"

"Why haven't we seen an explosion?"

"What is the meaning of all this?"

X shook his head at the barrage of questions. He said, "I think we've been had. The Mavericks sent us on a wild goose chase."

"A what?"

X said, "They tricked us. Tricked me. And I'm trying to figure out wh-," Suddenly, he froze.

"Commander?" a Hunter asked.

"A diversion," X said. Panic gripped him. "I have to get back to Dr. Cain's. Please take care of the civilians!"

He hated that way it looked: abandoning the scene and leaving the Hunters to their confusion. However, one sole focus overrode his professionalism: Zero. X hoped, dearly, that Zero revived sometime during the past few hours. Maybe when he returned he would see the manor and the laboratory safe and secure. Maybe Zero would be waiting for him with open arms.

* * *

X rematerialized on the teleporter pad in Dr. Cain's lab. The scene was nothing at all like he hoped. It was exactly as he feared.

He stood frozen, horrified by the scene all around him. Save for the teleporter, it appeared that every bit of equipment had been overturned, ripped out, destroyed. Strips of metal, broken glass, and flickering bits of torn wiring littered the space at every step. For all intents and purposes, the bomb went off there in the lab. X felt a heavy weight dropped into his stomach as he stepped off of the pad.

"Zero!" X called out, expressing a senseless hope that Zero somehow escaped the destruction. He dashed over to the repair capsule, only to see it smashed and empty.

"No!" X howled. His hands flew to his face, covering it as he reproached himself.

"X, is that you? Oh thank goodness."

X turned to see Dr. Cain enter the lab The latter glanced around in shock as X did moments ago. The doctor said, "I heard a terrible commotion. When I got here, I dared not open the door. In my gut I knew. I hid myself until you could return. Oh dear, I'm sorry I couldn't stop them!"

"No," X said. "You did the right thing." He ran his fingers along the broken capsule. He tried to hold back, but his lip quivered with sorrow. He felt tears pour from his eyes. He collapsed to his knees, fighting back sobs. He mourned all his work, and all their effort. It all now lay in ruins because he was a fool. Now, the ruse was all too obvious. He thought if he had been wiser, more experienced, he could have realized the X-Hunters' true intentions before it was too late.

"Oh my dear," Dr. Cain said, coming over to place a comforting hand on X's shoulder. The doctor continued to look around as X convulsed. "Oh no!" he said suddenly.

"What?" X said, wiping his eyes.

"The computer! Zero's blueprints!"

X looked up sharply toward the central computer. The chassis and input panels were split wide open, with torn wiring spilling like entrails out of a stomach wound. X rose from his knees to examine the damage, but he realized very quickly that the vandals tore out its memory storage and additional components.

"How could they have gotten away? Or here in the first place?" X asked.

"They must have hacked our teleporter," the doctor said. "I never thought it was possible."

"Me, neither," X said. "Can we pull a log, see where they might have gone?"

"Certainly."

Then, a single viewscreen switched on- the only screen still intact. Alarmed, X and the doctor turned toward it.

X reeled when he recognized the face on screen. "Serges!"

"Good evening," Serges said. "First, some advice. You should never leave your backdoor open. You don't know who might wander in!"

X trained his buster on the screen, too overwhelmed to consider the absurdity. "Tell me what you've done! Where have you taken him!"

Serges chuckled. "Secondly, I wish to thank you for completing our work. And for taking the bait so predictably."

Overwhelmed with anger, X's arm shook. "Tell me where you are!"

Serges chuckled. "Patience. We also have an invitation to deliver from the master," he said. "You will come to these coordinates. He insists that you survive until he can show you the results of your work, but we'll see about that."

The coordinates appeared on screen: 90.0 degrees North, zero West.

"The North Pole," X breathed.

Serges continued, "I know you want to see him again. I look forward to our rematch. Especially since you're all alone now!"

X lowered his buster. He said, "I accept the invitation. I will find you, and your master, and I will destroy you both!"

Serges laughed as the feed cut out.

Humiliated and outraged, X took a deep breath to calm himself. "I'm going. Now." He expected the doctor to protest when the latter knitted his brow.

The doctor said nothing of the sort. He touched X on the shoulder, looked at him in the eyes and said, "You give them hell!"

* * *

 **A/N:** **angel-kamui:** Thank you! Glad you enjoyed that chapter! I worried for a minute that it might seem confusing, but I'm glad that was not the case.

 **Enci987:** Oh yes, all your questions will be answered VERY soon! I anticipate only a few chapters left after this latest one- which I can't believe. But I hope to make them worthwhile. I may not get to finishing it until after the holiday, though. Maybe with the New Year? :cD


	11. Lair of Demons

**A/N:** Okay, this is crazy. I'm crazy. I not only have this chapter done...BUT POSSIBLY THE NEXT (and maybe final) CHAPTER! IT'S A CHRISTMAS MIRACLE! 

* * *

X materialized at the North Pole. Though late in the day, the arctic summer brought the sun high over the spires of the X-Hunter's fortress. Its green walls and violet towers grew out like tainted ice crystals from the snowy glaciers. As he stepped foot inside the fortess' chilly halls, the complexity of its inner workings daunted him. Computer wire and pipes branched out from every steel-plated wall. Electronic panels flickered and flashed, and valves hissed in measured intervals. He felt as though he had been swallowed up by a monstrous mechaniloid.

Alerted to his presence, security dogged him with sentries, and traps sprung on him at every turn. Worse, he faced the reconstructed bodies of the eight Maverick leaders he destroyed- revived, but stripped of all personality and reason. The X-Hunters cloned them only for X's destruction, a defilement that X worked to undo, one by one.

In the interim, he faced his first X-Hunter: Violen. X whittled him down until finally, Violen's thick armor cracked. A final shot overloaded his circuits. The great beast and his flail fell to the ground, silent forever.

He brought down Agile, who survived being crushed and burned, only to be transformed by his comrades into a floating abomination. He cried out for his master's vengeance as he split apart in flame.

Finally, he defeated Serges. Even though the X-Hunter defended himself behind a wall of cannons over a carpet of jagged spikes, X punched through the barrier and dealt him a fatal blow.

"Impossible! To be bested by a memento of Light? What of the prophecy?" Serges rambled as he writhed on his back, burns covering his body.

X approached him. Absent any emotion, he said, "Your master. Tell me where he is."

Serges cackled. He said, "He shall summon you. Your gift should be ready by now!" he spat. He then seized, his mouth hanging open as the last pulses of life coursed through him. X turned away, eager to find Zero, and perhaps destroy this 'master' together.

He did not travel far, for a light fixture switched on, coating him in a harsh white glow. He stopped, rapidly scanning the area for a trap. When nothing appeared, X shouted out to his surroundings. "Enough! I'm ready to face you!"

Then, a door nearby slid open. A light above it switched on, inviting him in. Steeling himself, X approached it and stepped through, his pace slow and guarded.

The door led to a short corridor. Housed in a dimly-lit shaft, an elevator platform awaited him at the end. He stepped onto it, and the lift whisked him down. After half a minute, it came to a stop and deposited him on another darkened corridor. Sconces along the walls switched on, and X followed them as they led him through the gray steel hallways. He passed through a peculiar room, where a large, glassy ball undulated with alternating colors. He wondered what evil purpose such a strange device served.

After several turns, the lights stopped at a final door. Its double-doors slid open, but revealed nothing but a silent, black void beyond.

X raised his buster, and moved into the room with guarded steps. "Show yourself," he said.

The doors hissed shut behind him, and the darkness dispersed as lights came on all at once. He blinked rapidly from the sudden burst of light, but soon his vision focused on two figures standing across from him. He paled when he recognized the tall, bald-headed figure of his former Commander, and his greatest enemy.

"Sigma!"

"Greetings, X. Surprised?"

X looked to the figure next to Sigma. A heavy weight fell in his stomach, and he recoiled. He saw Zero standing there, scowling at him, but his appearance startled X the most. A dark crimson hue shaded Zero's armor, and the blue crystal on his head now reflected a deep blood red. His blonde hair, however, still flowed the same as before.

"How?" X breathed, shuddering with dread.

Sigma laughed. "Your friend here wasn't the only one they pulled from the sea. No, friend isn't quite the word, is it? He has a small problem with you."

The scowl on Zero's face worsened, and X hesitated. "What have you done to him? Let him go!"

"Are you sure you want me to do that? You see, you let him die, and he's not happy at all about that. Besides, I know his secret. I've known it since our fight at Camelback. He's destined to serve me! Deep down he knows it, too."

Sigma's words made X pause. He reflected on the memories he experienced from Zero- the blood, the screams, the visions of his Maverick past, and the wild anger that infused them all. He looked at the imposing figure of Zero standing before him, his expression of pure hatred, and his faith wavered. The irony struck him hard, having been through so much to rebuild him. Now, a gut-wrenching notion came over him, that he made a grave error in reviving Zero. His chest ached with foreboding.

He reconsidered his fear, however, when it conflicted with the times Zero defended him. From Vile, to the first fall of Sigma. Then again with Serges. Zero's memories, too, contained more than just death and madness- they contained X's kindness. Zero associated those memories with much different emotions: relief. Gratitude. Repentance.

"No, Sigma," X said, shaking his head. "His destiny is no longer tied to his past. It doesn't matter what his creator intended. He wants to make his own choices, including who he gives his loyalty to."

"And I suppose you think you have his? Pah!" Sigma gestured toward X, saying, "Go, Zero! Show him what his naivety has wrought!"

Zero's eyes flickered red at the command. He assumed a battle stance, pulling the hilt of a saber from his back. He armed it, pointing it's tip toward X.

"Zero, don't do this. It's me!" X said.

Deaf to his pleas, Zero lunged at him and slashed with the saber, teeth bared with murderous intent. X side-stepped the arc of deadly light, but as Zero landed he fired his buster, forcing X to scramble for his life. In the confines of the room, he clumsily dashed over cables and pipes as Zero's shots tore them apart behind him. Zero followed up his withering assault with another slash, launching an arc-shaped projectile from the saber blade. X dove from the attack, feeling the heat singe his backside. Sigma howled with laughter.

As X rolled to his feet, he aimed his buster at Zero. "Stop! Please!" he said. Zero approached him like death, but X could not bring himself to shoot. "It's me! It's me!"

Zero reached out with his right hand. He grabbed X by his buster arm, raising the barrel and squeezing until its shell indented under his fingertips. X hissed in pain.

"It's useless to reason with him. He only follows my voice," Sigma said. "Kill him!"

X watched Zero reel back his sword arm. He closed his eyes, bracing himself for the slash through his stomach.

Then, a buster charge sounded. X's eyes popped open, recognizing the sound, yet it seemed distant. Adding to his confusion, he heard Sigma shout, "That's impossible!"

The charge released, and the shot tore through Zero's sword arm. Another rang out, a slash of green energy slicing away Zero's right shoulder. The wounded Zero bellowed in rage, and X backed away as the right arm thudded to the ground. X looked at him, horrified, until he spun around to discover the source of his rescue.

X saw the double-doors blown open, with Zero standing between them. His bright red armor, blue crystal, and wry smile instantly revealed the truth of the situation. The 'Zero' Sigma unleashed was a mere fake, a shadow puppet of his true friend.

"Zero!" X called out, unable to restrain a smile.

Zero charged his buster again, aimed, and finished off his fake counterpart with a blast to the red crystal on his head. The blast knocked the fake onto his back, shards of red glass littering the ground around him. He convulsed, then slumped, deactivated.

"You should have studied those blueprints more closely, Sigma. There's only one Zero!"

"Goddamn you," Sigma snarled. "Come die at my hand, then!"

Sigma faded, teleporting away from the scene. The dull whir of gears sounded, and a trapdoor opened in the floor.

Zero lowered his buster. "Damn!"

"Zero!" X called, running to him.

Zero smiled, opening his arms. X leaped into them, wrapping Zero in a tight embrace. "You're alive!" X said, sighing.

"Ditto," Zero said, releasing him. "We'll have to save the pleasantries for later, though. We have work left to do."

X nodded, though his elation over Zero's presence still carried away some of his attention. He had questions, too. "But how did you get here?" X asked.

Zero shrugged. "I came to as I was being carried away. They stored me down here. I wasn't quite strong enough for battle then, so I pretended to be unconscious until I could escape. Wish you could have seen the panic once Sigma's henchmen realized I disappeared. Snatched this, too." He held out the hilt of a beam saber. "I think it belonged to one of them."

X looked down at the fake Zero. "They must have built him when they couldn't find you. They also stole your blueprints from our lab when they abducted you."

"Then we have to destroy Sigma, and his central computer. It's the only way to make sure no one can construct another one."

"But Zero," X started.

"I know. The blueprints will be lost, but we have to do it." He nodded toward the opening in the floor. "I'll go take care of the computer while you handle Sigma."

X sighed, then slumped. He then smiled, saying, "I'm the Commander here, but I'm still taking orders from you."

Zero chuckled. "Commander? Wow," he said, moving past X. "I can't wait to hear about everything else I've missed. I'll see you later!"

X kept smiling as Zero moved to the exit. "Be careful."

"You, too."

As X watched him leave, disbelief came over him. In a few swift moments, the the sorrow and pain he suffered released him. In their place, a renewed hope and determination took hold. Zero was restored- and now, so was he. His morale soared against the evil he faced down below, and he brimmed with an unconquerable spirit. Without any hesitation, he jumped down into the dark pit where the demonlike visage of Sigma awaited him.

* * *

 **A/N:** So I vaguely thought about writing out fights between the X-Hunters, but ultimately decided against it. I thought it would slow things down without good reason. Better to keep things moving along and get on with the good stuff, I think.

I also tried to split the difference between the two outcomes with Zero. Some fighting with the fake Zero, THEN the rescue.

And hey! Sabers!


	12. Reunion

X continued to run from Sigma's lair, feeling the heat of innumerable explosions on his back. Even after the terrible bangs and booms of the lair's destruction died down, his legs carried him further, his focus fixed on the craggy outline of the arctic sea ahead. The sight and smell of the sea drew him, the same sensations that followed his decisive victory over Sigma once before.

He stopped atop a steep bluff, hunching over with fatigue. After catching his breath, he straightened, gazing out upon the restless waves coming in to lap the shore below. He closed his eyes, listening to the ocean breathe in and out. The cold, polar winds carried up and away the heat radiating from his skin.

He destroyed Sigma once more, yet he felt no happiness, no elation. A hollowness blunted his relief. This war taught him a difficult lesson: that a reprieve from violence may only last a short while. He looked at his buster, wondering if there would ever be an end. He wondered what more he would have to give.

Another fact troubled him. The final words uttered by Sigma:

I have lost to you again...yet each defeat only makes me stronger. Your ultimate doom will come. But something is not right...I don't understand why Zero...the last of the doctor's creations...why he...chose you...

X lost track of how long he stood there, meditating on the future. He wanted time to stop, to wait until he was ready for it to resume. For a moment, he thought it did. Then, time sprung back into motion when a voice called out to him.

"Hey."

X turned, seeing Zero approach him.

"Hey," X returned, turning back to the ocean. "You made it out."

"Of course."

Zero smiled, coming to stand next to him. X looked over to him. Zero's tall, confident demeanor soothed X's troubled mind like so many times before war. Emotion overcame his composure, drawing him in toward Zero. X pressed himself against Zero and embraced him tightly, sighing heavily into Zero's shoulder.

Zero returned the gesture, a gentle hand coming to rest on the back of X's head. "You miss me?" he asked.

"I still can't believe you're standing here," X said.

"Even after all you went through to repair me?"

"I wasn't sure if we could repair you."

"You did your best anyway."

X closed his eyes. "Even if we couldn't repair you, I was determined to get you back at any cost. I couldn't stand the idea of any part of you being in the hands of Mavericks."

"I know, X. I know you preserved me. I've seen your battles with the X-Hunters. I know how much it pained you to see me that way."

"What? How?"

Zero pulled back to look at X. "You shared them with me."

A second passed before X realized what Zero meant. "I gave you my memories?"

"I guess you didn't realize it."

"You were aware during the link?"

Zero released X. He shrugged. "In a way. It felt more like dreaming."

X stepped back, turning toward the ocean. "You dream, too?"

"All the time."

The ocean breeze rushed past them, tossing Zero's hair all around them.

"You didn't delete it?" Zero then asked.

"What?"

"Me. My data."

X turned his head toward him sharply. "Of course not."

Zero smiled. "I thought you didn't like to carry around the dead in your memory."

"I don't. But you were - are - my only friend. I couldn't just let you go."

"Lucky for me, then."

X returned the smile, his attention going back to the open sea. His smile faded when he said, "Then they stole you away. Even then, I wondered if it was all for nothing."

"Well, you showed them. I'm truly amazed at you, X. I know this wasn't the first time you went through hell to bring me back."

"I'd do it again," X said.

The statement hung in the air between them. X felt a familiar conflict arise in his systems, causing him to find a sudden fascination in the rocks littering the cliff just ahead of him. He wanted to be near Zero, yet also desperately wanted to run away. He felt relieved to say those words, yet also wished he never said them.

X suddenly felt a shadow over him. He looked up to see Zero step before him. Zero lifted his hand, grazing X's cheek with his fingertips. They locked eyes, and at that moment, Zero leaned down and touched his lips to X's.

Feather-light, the kiss nonetheless sent shocks racing through X from head to toe. He escaped death countless times, yet his excitement and fear then did not compare to what Zero elicited within him. This was a charged shot compared to a pellet gun.

Zero pulled back, lips curved in a soft smile.

"Why did you do that?" X breathed.

Zero pierced him with his gaze, saying, "You don't have to rescue me. You don't have to go through that pain. You're worth my life. You're worth everything I have, a hundred times over."

Despite the cold winds, the words warmed X through to his core. As he searched Zero's face, his fear blew away like sand in the ocean breeze. Tears welled up in X's eyes.

"Hey, I'm sorry," Zero said, panicked.

X reached out to grab Zero by the arm before he could pull away. "No, I'm okay. I feel the same way."

Zero chuckled. "If you say so."

X embraced him again, closing his eyes as he felt Zero hold him close. "There's no pain I can't endure, so long as you are with me."

Zero kissed the top of his head. X sighed into his chest. They reveled in their reunion for many long, silent minutes, until Zero said, "Let's go home, buddy."

* * *

 **A/N:** Well, I might add an epilogue or something, but I'm satisfied leaving it to end here for now.

Thank you for reading! And a special big thanks to **angel-kamui** , **Enci987** for the encouragement, and to everyone else who took the time to give me feedback. My inbox is open if you have questions/suggestions. Thanks again!


End file.
